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| South Carolina State Senate District 4 | ||
| Current incumbent | Michael Gambrell  | |
South Carolina's fourth state senate district is represented by Republican Senator Michael Gambrell, who won a 2016 special election prompted by the death of Republican Senator William O'Dell. O'Dell died on January 7, 2016, from natural causes.
South Carolina state senators represent an average of 100,551 residents. After the 2000 Census, each member represented 87,218 residents.
Members of the South Carolina State Senate serve four-year terms and are not subject to term limits. South Carolina legislators assume office the Monday after the election.
To be eligible to serve in the South Carolina State Senate a candidate must be:
| State legislators | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $10,400/year | $202.03/legislative day |
If there is a vacancy in the senate, a special election must be held to fill the vacant seat. If candidates plan to seek the nomination through a party convention, the filing period begins on the third Friday after the vacancy happened. The qualifying deadline is ten days after the filing period opens.
If a candidate plans to seek the nomination via petition, all signatures must submitted to the appropriate filing officer no later than sixty days before the election. All signatures must be verified by the filing officer no later than 45 days before the election.
A primary election must be held on the eleventh Tuesday after the vacancy occurs. If necessary, a primary runoff must be held on the thirteenth Tuesday after the vacancy occurs. The special election is held on the eighteenth Tuesday after vacancy occurs. No special election can be held less than 60 days before the general election.
Elections for the office of South Carolina State Senate will take place in 2020. The general election will be held on November 3, 2020. A primary is scheduled for June 9, 2020, and a primary runoff is scheduled for June 23, 2020. The filing deadline is March 30, 2020.
Elections for the South Carolina State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on June 14, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The primary election runoff was held on June 28, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was March 30, 2016.
Incumbent Michael Gambrell ran unopposed in the South Carolina State Senate District 4 general election.South Carolina State Senate, District 4 General Election, 2016
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Michael Gambrell Incumbent (unopposed) |
100.00% | 28,064 | |
| Total Votes | 28,064 | |||
| Source: South Carolina State Election Commission | ||||
South Carolina State Senate, District 4 Republican Primary, 2016
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Michael Gambrell Incumbent |
64.95% | 6,075 | |
| Republican | Rockey Burgess | 35.05% | 3,279 | |
| Total Votes | 9,354 | |||
| Source: South Carolina State Election Commission | ||||
A special election for the position of South Carolina State Senate District 4 was called for May 17. A primary took place on March 22. A primary runoff took place on April 5. The filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was February 1.
The seat was vacant following William O'Dell's (R) death on January 7, 2016. He died at his home from an apparent heart condition.
Rockey Burgess, Willie Day, Michael Gambrell, Tripp Padgett and Mark Powell faced off in the Republican primary. Since no candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two vote-getters, Burgess and Gambrell, faced off in the primary runoff, which Gambrell won. Gambrell was unopposed in the special election.
South Carolina State Senate, District 4, Special Election, 2016
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Michael Gambrell |
91.8% | 1,246 | |
| Write-in | Write-in | 8.2% | 112 | |
| Total Votes | 1,358 | |||
South Carolina State Senate, District 4, Runoff Republican Primary, 2016
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Michael Gambrell |
57.6% | 2,594 |
| Rockey Burgess | 42.4% | 1,913 |
| Total Votes | 4,507 | |
South Carolina State Senate, District 4 Republican Primary, 2016
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Michael Gambrell (advanced to the runoff) |
45.5% | 2,150 |
| Rockey Burgess (advanced to the runoff) |
31.9% | 1,505 |
| Tripp Padgett | 14.1% | 667 |
| Willie Day | 6.2% | 294 |
| Mark Powell | 2.3% | 109 |
| Total Votes | 4,725 | |
Elections for the office of South Carolina State Senate consisted of a primary election on June 12, 2012, and a general election on November 6, 2012. The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 30, 2012. Incumbent William O'Dell (R) was unopposed in the general election and defeated Riley Harvell in the Republican primary.
South Carolina State Senate, District 4, General Election, 2012
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | William O'Dell Incumbent |
99% | 24,929 | |
| Other | Write-Ins | 1% | 262 | |
| Total Votes | 25,191 | |||
South Carolina State Senate District 4 Republican Primary, 2012
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Billy O'Dell Incumbent |
58.4% | 3,031 |
| Riley Harvell | 41.6% | 2,155 |
| Total Votes | 5,186 | |
From 2002 to 2016, candidates for South Carolina State Senate District 4 raised a total of $816,330. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $58,309 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money.
Campaign contributions, South Carolina State Senate District 4
| Year | Amount | Candidates | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $199,815 | 2 | $99,908 |
| 2012 | $108,669 | 2 | $54,335 |
| 2010 | $5,899 | 1 | $5,899 |
| 2008 | $131,921 | 3 | $43,974 |
| 2006 | $9,198 | 1 | $9,198 |
| 2004 | $118,773 | 2 | $59,387 |
| 2002 | $5,650 | 1 | $5,650 |
| 2000 | $236,405 | 2 | $118,203 |
| Total | $816,330 | 14 | $58,309 |
