South Carolina Senate facts for kids

Quick facts for kids South Carolina State Senate
South Carolina General Assembly
Seal of the South Carolina Senate
Type
Type	Upper House
Term limits	None
History
New session started	January 9, 2024
Leadership
President	Thomas C. Alexander (R) Since December 6, 2021
Majority Leader	A. Shane Massey (R) Since April 6, 2016
Minority Leader	Brad Hutto (D) Since November 17, 2020
Clerk	Jeffrey S. Gossett Since January 9, 2001
Assistant Clerk	Kenneth M. Moffitt Since September 2, 2014
Reading Clerk	John O. Wienges Since January 11, 1994
Structure
Seats	46
Political groups	Majority      Republican (30) Minority      Democratic (15)      Independent (1)
Length of term	4 years
Authority	Article III, South Carolina Constitution
Salary	$10,400/year + per diem
Elections
Last election	November 3, 2020 (46 seats)
Next election	November 5, 2024 (46 seats)
Redistricting	Legislative Control
Meeting place
State Senate Chamber South Carolina State House Columbia, South Carolina
Website
South Carolina Senate

A diagram of the Senate Chamber, 1917

The South Carolina Senate is an important part of the state government. It is the "upper house" of the South Carolina General Assembly. The "lower house" is the South Carolina House of Representatives.

The Senate has 46 senators. Each senator is chosen from a specific area called a "single member district." They serve for four years. These elections happen at the same time as the United States presidential elections.

The South Carolina Constitution of 1895 first said that each county would elect one senator. Senators served four-year terms. Half of the Senate was elected every two years.

In 1964, the U.S. Supreme Court made a big decision in a case called Reynolds v. Sims. This decision changed how states had to set up their voting districts. Because of this, the South Carolina Senate had to change its districts.

• In 1966, the Senate was temporarily divided into 27 districts with 50 members. These members served for two years.
• In 1967, the Senate changed again. It was divided into 20 districts with 46 members, who served four-year terms.
• By 1984, the idea of having multiple districts was gone. Instead, each senator was elected from their own single district.

The General Assembly meets every year. They gather at the State Capitol Building in Columbia. Their yearly meeting starts on the second Tuesday of January. The House or Senate can take a break for 30 days if most members agree. They can take a longer break if two-thirds of members agree.

Who is in the South Carolina Senate?

The South Carolina Senate has 46 members. These members belong to different political groups. Most of them are from the Republican Party.

Meet Your South Carolina Senators

Here is a list of the current senators in South Carolina. Most of them were elected in November 2020. Their terms started on January 12, 2021. All their terms will end in January 2025.

*This means the senator was first elected in a special election, not a regular one.

How Senate Party Power Has Changed Over Time

The table below shows how the number of senators from different political parties has changed over many years. This helps us see which party had the most power in the Senate at different times.