South Carolina State Senate seat · lines in effect since 2022
South Carolina Senate District 45
A district of about 113,000 people, 39% Black, 25% of adults with a bachelor's degree. It votes D+9.2 relative to the nation for president.
2024 election
Nov 5, 2024- Margie Bright Matthews (D) · won97.7%
- Write-ins and other votes (OTH)2.3%
Unopposed.
Source: South Carolina State Election CommissionUpdated Oct 1, 2026, 6:13 AM ET
Where it sits among all 46 seats
Every South Carolina State Senate seat by partisan lean, from most Democratic to most Republican. Lean is the seat's presidential vote on current lines, relative to the nation.
Democratic
Source: 99chambers: 2024 and 2020 presidential results on current lines, relative to the nation (2024 weighted 3:1)Updated Oct 16, 2026, 5:19 AM ET
Every election for this seat
12 races since 1984. District numbers are redrawn after each census: each group is one set of lines.
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Won by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lines first used in 2022 | |||
| 2024 | Margie Bright Matthews (D) | — | Unopposed |
| Lines first used in 2012 | |||
| 2020 | Margie Bright Matthews (D) | Rodney Buncum (R) | 18.9 |
| 2016 | Margie Bright Matthews (D) | — | Unopposed |
| 2012 | Clementa A. Pinckney (D) | Leilani Bessinger (R) | 32.5 |
| Lines first used in 2002 | |||
| 2008 | Clementa A. Pinckney (D) | — | Unopposed |
| 2004 | Clementa A. Pinckney (D) | — | Unopposed |
| Lines first used in 1992 | |||
| 2000 | Clementa A. Pinckney (D) | Curtis Brantley (R) | 26.0 |
| 1996 | McKinley Washington Jr. (D) | — | Unopposed |
| 1992 | McKinley Washington Jr. (D) | — | Unopposed |
| Lines first used in 1982 | |||
| 1990 special | McKinley Washington Jr. (D) | Harry B. Limehouse III (R) | 14.5 |
| 1988 | Peden McLeod (D) | Kelly Fox (R) | 59.1 |
| 1984 | Peden McLeod (D) | — | Unopposed |
Won by: the winner's lead over the runner-up, in points of the vote. Source: 99chambers results archive (MEDSL, Klarner, state election offices)
Districts that overlap District 45
The state's districts in other chambers that share residents with this one, and the share of District 45's area in each.
Every race on these lines
Results recomputed from precinct returns as if today's boundaries had always existed, so years compare like for like.
| 2024 | |
|---|---|
| President | D+7.9 |
Outlined: the race for this seat itselfBlank: no race that year
Source: 99chambers results archive: precinct results allocated to current lines; 2026: civicAPIUpdated Nov 8, 2026, 7:01 PM ET
Who lives here, compared
Grey bars show the spread of all 46 seats. Small marks are other seats in South Carolina. The black marker is District 45.
Lower than 71% of seats.
Lower than 80% of seats.
Higher than 73% of seats.
Higher than 80% of seats.
Lower than 84% of seats.
Less dense than 96% of seats.
Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, allocated to current linesUpdated Oct 13, 2026, 5:06 AM ET
Seats most like this one
Nearest seats on demographics, density and lean.
District 3537% Black · 27% college gradsD+5.0Not up in 2026District 39
33% Black · 26% college gradsR+1.7Not up in 2026District 17
37% Black · 24% college gradsR+0.4Not up in 2026District 32
48% BlackD+5.3Not up in 2026
Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, allocated to current lines; 99chambers: 2024 and 2020 presidential results on current lines, relative to the nation (2024 weighted 3:1)Updated Oct 16, 2026, 5:19 AM ET