Meet the Candidates
State Senate and
State House
The offices in this section serve only parts of York County, and some extend beyond the county boundries. See our York County Political Maps page to see the various political subdivisions.
State Senate
There are four South Carolina Senate districts that include part of York County: 14, 15 16 and 17. District 15 is the only one located entirely within the County. State Senators serve four-year terms, and elections are held in ‘Presidential’ years, so the next elections for State Senate will be in 2028.
However….
State Senate District 15 Special Election
In 2026 there will be a special election for State Senate District 15 (held concurrently with the General Election). The incumbent, Republican Wes Climer, is resigning the seat early (effective November 3) because he is running for US House against Mallory Dittmer in the SC 5th District.
Chad Williams won the Special Primary for the Democratic nomination on September 1. On the Republican side, only school board member James Burns had filed, so he skipped a Special Primary.
The winner in November will take office almost immediately and fulfill the remaining two years of the term.
State Senate District 15 is in central York County, skirting the edges of Rock Hill, and including the Lake Wylie area and the City of York. Only voters registered in District 15 will see this election on their ballot.
SC Senate District 15
Chad Williams
Special Primary Winner ✅
Chad Williams defeated his Special Primary opponent Monika White by a substantial margin, 84% to 16% in an election that saw only a 2.14% voter turnout. He now heads to the November 3 General Election, although this specific race is being called a ‘Special Election’ because it is out of cycle for the State Senate.
Williams has 25 years of experience in local government. His platform centers on a bipartisan approach to pass legislation that will help solve local issues. He is a small business owner, a former National Guard officer, and served 10 years on the York County Council. He has also served on the Rock Hill Planning Commission.
SC Senate District 15
Monika White
Monika White (pronounced mo-NEE-ka) lost her challenge to be the Democratic candidate for South Carolina State Senate District 15 to Chad Williams in the Special Primary on September 1. YCDP thanks her for her participation in the election process.
White is a graduate of North Carolina Central University with a degree in Criminal Justice and a proud United States Air Force mom.
Monika brings more than 10 years of experience serving as a Poll Manager and Poll Clerk, along with grassroots campaign experience that includes door-to-door canvassing, phone banking, voter outreach, and supporting candidates. Her priorities include lowering costs for families, reducing violent crime, protecting women’s rights, addressing mental health disparities, and expanding access to quality resources and services.
Monika is committed to serving District 15 with integrity, compassion, and accountability.
State House of Representatives
State House seats are elected every two years, so all House members are up for reelection in 2026. There are no term limits for House seats.
There are eight South Carolina House Districts that include parts of York County: 26, 29, 43, 46, 47, 48, 49 and 66. John R King is the incumbent Democrat in District 49, and that seat has been reliably Democratic. The other incumbents are Republicans. Often they run unopposed in the General Election, but in 2026 the YCDP has recruited candidates for ALL of them!
Below are State House races
with Democratic candidates:
SC House District 26
Jenny Desch
Jenny Desch is a 25-year prosecutor and she's running for SC House in Fort Mill. Her career has been built fighting for voices to be heard and she's ready to take that same approach to Columbia. Running unopposed in the Democratic primary (so she was not on the Primary ballot on June 9), Jenny will face incumbent David Martin in the November General Election (Martin beat Elizabeth Enns 54% to 46% in the Primary).
Fort Mill families deserve a representative who works for them, not for political interests or donors, and she’s ready to get to work.
SC House District 29
Marina Franco
Marina Franco filed at the last minute as a Democratic candidate for State House District 29 which encompasses parts of Cherokee, Spartanburg, and York counties. Marina is from Cowpens in Spartanburg County. With her filing, we now have a Democratic candidate in ALL York County State House races!
As the only Democrat in the SC House 29 race, Marina skips the June 9 Primary and heads straight to the November 3 General Election.
SC House District 43
Alex Clark
SC House District 43 includes a small section of SE York County, and rural Chester County (the town of Chester is carved out). Alex has no Democratic Party competition, so he moves straight to the November 3 General Election, facing incumbent Republican Randy Ligon.
SC House District 46
Omar L McCrorey
SC House District 46 covers the north side of Rock Hill, with District 49 covering the south side, and an extension out to the City of York.
Omar has set up a GoFundMe page for contributions, where he notes that he “was born and raised in Rock Hill, attended local schools, and graduated from Northwestern High School in 1998.”
On his campaign Facebook page, Omar says that he is a “Follower of Christ, Father, Husband, Combat Veteran. I look forward to serving both my Liberal and Conservative constituents in District 46 and being an accessible, open, and receptive representative that speaks for ALL of the residents of District 46.”
SC House District 47
Justin N. Bennett
PRIMARY WINNER ☑
Justin N. Bennett filed to run for State House in SC 47, and defeated Primary opponent Pete Martinez 58% to 41%. We don’t find a website, but Bennett is actively campaigning on his Facebook page.
Note that there was a Democratic candidate for Governor with a similar name, Justin A. Bennett, who never officially filed, but you may see his name appear on some web pages.
SC House District 47
Pete Martinez
Pete Martinez was running for office for the first time. He spoke at the 2026 YCDP County Convention, and YCDP TV found him at No Kings 3.
Pete lost to his Democratic Primary opponent, Justin N. Bennett. Bennet received 58% of the vote to Martinez’s 42%. The YCDP thanks Pete for participating in the election.
SC House District 48
Rustin Terry
As the only Democratic candidate in the SC House 48 race, Rustin skips the June Primary and heads straight to the November General election.
Here is Terry’s address to the 2026 YCDP County Convention on March 14. And join Rustin and YCDP TV host Gary Pearce for this in-depth conversation on YouTube and podcast audio
******
Hi, I’m Rustin Terry
I am running to represent you in the South Carolina House of Representatives District 48 (Lake Wylie and North Rock Hill).
I believe our politics should reflect the people who live here — hardworking, decent, and looking out for one another. In Columbia, I will lead with common sense, grit, and a steady focus on the families of York County.
Together let’s build stronger:
Healthcare
Families
Economy
Leadership
Roads
Values
SC House District 49
Rep. John King (Rock Hill)
PRIMARY WINNER ☑
John has represented SC House District 49 since 2009. He ran unopposed for the seat in 2024, and facing only write-in oppositon, he received 98% of the vote. In previous elections where he did have opposition, he typically received over 60% of the vote. In the 2026 Primary, King defeated opponent Perry Sutton 81% to 19%
Here is his address to the 2026 YCDP County Convention on March 14.
SC House District 49
Perry Sutton
Perry Sutton is a former City of Rock Hill Councilman. He is a highly decorated retired member of the United States Coast Guard. Sutton also is a dedicated community leader, and a nationally reconized youth football coach. His motto is Sempar Paratus {always ready}. Perry spoke at the 2026 YCDP County Convention.
He lost to Democratic incumbent John King in the Primary for SC House District 49. The YCDP thanks him for his participation in this election.
SC House District 66
Heather Hart
Heather Hart is a first-time candidate, running in a State House District that was ‘relocated’ to York County following the 2020 Census, part of a Republican gerrymander in 2021. The incumbent is Jackie Terribile, who is in her first term. As the only Democratic candidate in the SC House 66 race, Heather gets to skip the June Primary and head straight to the November General Election.
Heather addressed the 2026 YCDP County Convention on March 14.