Former Mount Pleasant police chief Carl Ritchie will now serve as Charleston County’s top cop after winning a close race Tuesday night against Democratic incumbent Kristin Graziano.

“I’m going to get to work right away,” Ritchie told supporters at a watch party in Mount Pleasant.

“I’m going to meet with folks I need to in Charleston County government and start talking about how we can start righting the ship.”

Ritchie touts more than 30 years of local law enforcement experience and was elected to Mount Pleasant town council after retiring as the community’s police chief in 2021.

His win is a sharp departure from the county’s current sheriff and puts the office once again under Republican leadership as it was for decades until Graziano was elected in 2020.

“In a world that’s often clouded by hate and division, I ask that you, let’s choose a path of unity,” Sheriff Graziano told reporters Wednesday as she conceded the election.

“Let’s rise about this negativity. Embrace some kindness for once.”

Graziano was the first woman and openly gay sheriff to be elected. She immediately fulfilled a campaign promise to end a voluntary agreement with federal authorities that relied on local deputies to help ICE deport immigrants. Graziano argued then, the agreement was costly and created distrust in minority communities.

This election year, immigration became a top issue for Republican candidates nationwide, including South Carolina Congresswoman Nancy Mace. In recent months, Mace took aim at Graziano, accusing the sheriff of letting immigrants “run wild.” Mace easily won her re-election bid last night.

“It’s unfortunate that they want to take a national issue and make it a local problem,” Graziano said. “Charleston’s better than that.”

But accusations involving immigration aren’t the only issue Graziano faced. More than a dozen inmates have died in detention during her time as sheriff, prompting a federal investigation into potential abuse. Also, reports of inadequate staffing have plagued her tenure.

As for what she’ll do next, Graziano told reporters she’s focused now on her final months in office. Ritchie will take the reins as sheriff in January 2025.

A rainy Election Day did not deter South Carolinians from casting their ballots for federal, state and local races.

In Greenville County, turnout was around 65%, according to Elections Director Conway Belangia. Spartanburg County saw a turnout rate of about 72%, and 66% of registered voters turned out in Anderson.

Voter turnout was about 67% statewide.

Before Election Day, more than 1.5 million voters had cast a ballot either through early voting or absentee ballots. 

In the 4^th  Congressional District, Democrat Kathryn Harvey looked to unseat Incumbent William Timmons but failed to capture enough votes.

“This community really has turned out. The support has been overwhelming,” Harvey said. 

The district has a GOP stronghold and has not elected a Democrat since Bob Inglis unseated Liz Patterson in 1992.  But, Harvey says it is a “misnomer” that the district’s voters prefer “hardline politics.” 

“The folks who maybe have never voted Democrat before but wanted to talk about issues with me and are willing to think about the person that they want to represent them and not just the party, has been incredible,” Harvey said. 

During her campaign, Harvey criticized Timmons for not being present in the 4th congressional district and for not voting to certify the 2020 election.

“At the end of the day, the election law changes that the Democrats pushed were unconstitutional, and you can call it cheating. You can call it whatever you want, but at the end of the day, you can’t change the rules of the game right before the game is over,” Timmons said.

SC Democrats undeterred

Though South Carolina overall voted for former President Donald Trump overwhelmingly, Democrats still proudly cast a ballot for Vice President Kamala Harris.

Maxine Duckett said the issue top of mind for her was women’s rights, adding that Trump was a “bully.”

“He is a person that’s really saying, ‘Hey, it’s okay to be bullying’,” Duckett said.

As a mother of three daughters, ages 24, 19, and 14, Duckett said, voting for the country’s potential first female president was “important.”

For Dante Tabor, Duckett’s partner, voting was a way for him to use his voice as a person who is physically disabled. Tabor was born conjoined to his twin brother, who later died.

“I can do anything that a normal person can do. I might be special, I might got a learning disability, but I can do things that normal people can do. And I think it’s time for my voice to be heard,” Tabor said. It was his first time voting.

For Greenville County GOP chairwoman Yvonne Julian, the mood at the headquarters was “jubilation.”

“There’s a lot of happiness and, you know, pride in the job that we’ve done, and a lot of excitement.”

South Carolina football picked up a commitment Tuesday from Dutch Fork senior linebacker Josh Smith.

Smith, who decommitted from Coastal Carolina in September, had offers from NC State and Ole Miss as well as nine others. Smith (6-foot-2, 230 pounds) is rated as a three-star prospect according to the 247Sports Composite and is the No. 25 player in South Carolina.

Smith also had offers from Vanderbilt, Memphis, Appalachian State, Marshall, Connecticut, Liberty, Charlotte, Charleston Southern and Wofford. He committed to Coastal Carolina in April.

Coach Shane Beamer’s 2025 South Carolina football recruiting class has 21 commitments and is rated No. 22 in the country.

Early signing day is Dec. 4.