COLUMBIA, S.C. (WSPA) – On Monday, three lawmakers announced their resignations from the South Carolina State House, marking an unprecedented moment as the State Election Commission anticipates holding three special elections for General Assembly seats on the same day.
“We’ve never experienced three resignations from the General Assembly on a single day. It certainly caught our attention. It was quite an eventful afternoon,” commented John Michael Catalano, the Director of External Affairs at the State Election Commission.
Rep. RJ May was first to resign as he’s currently awaiting trial after being accused of sharing videos and photos of child sexual abuse material.
Then, Sen. Roger Nutt resigned after announcing that he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. His resignation will take effect in January 2026.
Representative Bobby Cox stepped down, revealing plans to pursue a soon-to-be vacant seat held by Nutt. His resignation will officially take effect in January 2026.
“Counties are already stretched thin with special elections for various positions as well as local elections, which coincide with these primaries,” Catalano added.
Cox stated that his early resignation would save taxpayer money and ensure continued representation for counties. The State Election Commission mentioned that if the resignation had been delayed, constituents might have lacked representation for several weeks or even months.
“With this timeline, these special elections will be wrapped up and certified in time for the winners to begin serving at the start of the new session of the General Assembly in January,” Catalano explained.
Catalano said it’s crucial for people to vote.
“Presidential elections and elections for governor — those are the ones that get the most attention,” he emphasized. “Those are the ones that we’re thinking about, and they come on a planned and scheduled day. Special elections continue to struggle because it’s just not at a regularly timed and scheduled date.”
The primary election for all three races is set for October 21, with early voting running from October 6-17. The special election to officially fill the seat will be held December 23, with early voting taking place from December 8-19.
