CalledUnofficial results
South Carolina House District 81
South Carolina House of Representatives · South Carolina
Charles Hartz won re-election by 20.5 points over Pete Swales.
Charles HartzRepublican · winner · incumbent
60.2%12,127
Pete SwalesDemocrat
39.7%7,996
Write-InOther party
0.1%21
20,144 votes
Source: South Carolina Election Commission unofficial resultsUpdated Nov 7, 2026, 1:35 PM ET
Where the race moved
Against the 2024 presidential vote
The seat's recent races
Source: Past results: 99chambers results archive (MEDSL, Klarner, state election offices)
Money in this race
Each line compares the two campaigns on one scale.
No DemocratCharles Hartz
—
Raised by the campaign
$42K
—
Spent by the campaign
$40.5K
—
Cash on hand
$36.6K
Campaign money: South Carolina State Ethics Commission, through May 6, 2026.
Source: South Carolina State Ethics Commission campaign filingsUpdated May 6, 2026
Pre-election forecast (final, Nov 3)
Our model's last run before Election Day, Nov 3, 2026. It no longer updates.
- Pete Swales
- 1%
- Charles Hartz
- 99%
- Projected margin
- R+20.8
The candidates
Charles Hartz (R)
Incumbent, South Carolina House of Representatives, first elected 2024Pete Swales (D)
Incumbent, South Carolina House of Representatives, first elected 2024Pete Swales (D)
Also on the ballot: Write-In (Other party), 0.1%