Nikki G. Setzler (born August 7, 1945) is an American politician who is a Democratic member of the South Carolina Senate, representing the 26th District since 1976. In November 2020, Setzler announced that he would step down as Minority Leader.[1][2][3]
Nikki Setzler | |
|---|---|
| Minority Leader of the South Carolina Senate | |
| In office November 12, 2012 – November 17, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | John C. Land III |
| Succeeded by | Brad Hutto |
| Member of the South Carolina Senate from the 26th district | |
| Assumed office January 8, 1985 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Member of the South Carolina Senate from the 8th district | |
| In office January 11, 1977 – January 8, 1985 | |
| Preceded by | Albert Dooley Michael Laughlin Jimmy Martin |
| Succeeded by | David Lloyd Thomas |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 7, 1945 Asheville, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Ada Taylor (m. 1969) |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | University of South Carolina (BA, JD) |
| Profession | Attorney, politician |
After the resignation of North Dakota's Ray Holmberg on June 1, 2022, Setzler became the country's longest serving incumbent state senator.[4][5] For much of his tenure, Setzler has been the only elected Democrat representing a portion of Lexington County above the county level.
Political career
editS.C. Senate
editElections
edit2016 election
editNikki Setzler defeated Republican challenger Brad Lindsey in 2016, receiving about 58% of the vote.[6][7]
2020 election
editIn 2020, Setzler defeated Republican challenger Chris Smith, winning roughly 54% of the vote.[8]
2024 election
editOn January 10, 2024, Setzler announced his retirement from public office and will not stand for re-election in the 2024 South Carolina Senate election.[9] In the race to succeed Setzler, State Representative Russell Ott defeated State Senator Dick Harpootlian for the Democratic nomination while Jason Guerry defeated Chris Smith for the Republican nomination. Ott and Guerry will face each other in the general election.[10][11]
References
edit- ^ Lovegrove, Jamie. "SC Senate minority leader stepping down from role after Democrats lost seats in 2020". Post and Courier.
- ^ "Sen. Nikki Setzler stepping down as minority leader". Lexington County Chronicle. Nov 10, 2020.
- ^ Schechter, Maayan (November 10, 2020). "SC Senate's top Democrat Nikki Setzler stepping down from leadership role". The State. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
- ^ Kurtz, Adam (January 8, 2021). "44 years in, Sen. Ray Holmberg is tied for longest serving state senator in the nation". Grand Forks Herald. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021.
- ^ Jarrett, Kim (June 1, 2022). "Successor named for N.D. senator resigning amid questions about texts with accused child pornographer". News Radio 1310. Leighton Broadcasting. Archived from the original on June 1, 2022. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
- ^ ccleveland@aikenstandard.com, Christina Cleveland (2016-11-04). "Nikki Setzler, Brad Lindsey running for S.C. Senate District 26". Post and Courier. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
- ^ "South Carolina 26th District State Senate Results: Nikki Setzler Wins". The New York Times. 2017-08-01. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
- ^ "South Carolina State Senate - District 26 Election Results | USA TODAY". www.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
- ^ Collins, Jeffrey (January 10, 2024). "Longest currently serving state senator in US plans to retire in South Carolina". Associated Press. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
- ^ Holdman, Jessica; Kenmore, Abraham (June 12, 2024). "Harpootlian loses Senate seat, 'sister senators' lose ground and Freedom Caucus expands". South Carolina Daily Gazette. States Newsroom. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
- ^ Kenmore, Abraham (June 25, 2024). "SC Senate could have no GOP women after only chairwoman ousted in runoff". South Carolina Daily Gazette. States Newsroom. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
External links
edit- Official Nikki Setzler for State Senate site
- South Carolina Legislature - Senator Nikki G. Setzler official SC Senate website
- Project Vote Smart - Senator Nikki G. Setzler (SC) profile
- Follow the Money - Nikki G. Setzler
- Appearances on C-SPAN
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