Ott vs. Guerry. The two SC candidates aiming to succeed Nikki Setzler in the state senate

Senate District 26 will have a new senator after November's election. It's a race that features a first-time candidate and a longtime state representative hoping to succeed state Sen. Nikki Setzler , D-Lexington, in a district that was drawn to be competitive with a partisan lean towards Democrats.

Jason Guerry, a Lexington County Republican who works in construction doing home remodels, won the GOP nomination in June out of a three-person field. State Rep. Russell Ott, D-Calhoun, is a farmer, has served in the House since 2013 and defeated state Sen. Dick Harpootlian in June's primary .

Based on previous voting patterns, Ott comes into the general election race with an advantage.

The candidates are running in a newly drawn district that President Joe Biden would have won 52-46% against former President Donald Trump in 2020. District 26 will be one of the few legislative districts that will be competitive in November's election.

The district has precincts in Calhoun, Lexington and Richland counties. According to an analysis of vote totals from 2020, Biden ran up the score in the Richland County precincts, carrying 72% of the vote. Trump won the Calhoun and Lexington county precincts, but only carried 50% of the vote in both of the counties.

Although the Republican Primary had more voters in District 26, more Democrats voted in Calhoun County during the June primary.

For both candidates, they'll have to reach out to more voters than they did in the primary race to introduce themselves to the electorate.

Ott, who is 46 and has two teenage sons, said he plans not to focus on Guerry during the campaign and just work on introducing himself to voters across the district and discussing solutions to issues facing South Carolina.

"When you're talking about 40,000 plus voters, then you're going to have to rely on other ways to talk with voters, which is mailers, social media, telephone calls. So we're trying to deploy all of it, but I'm still trying to go everywhere I can go," Ott said.

Ott learned that as he got farther away from Calhoun County, fewer people were familiar with him.

"I'm certainly trying to be strategic, and I'm trying to make sure that I get in front of people that don't know me," Ott said.

Guerry, 51, who has three grown sons, has never run for office before but has political connections in his family. His wife, Tina Guerry, is the Lexington County register of deeds , and she faces no opposition in November's election. His father, Art, previously served on the Lexington County Council, and as the elected county auditor.

Jason Guerry said he's not worried about focusing on Ott when he's talking to prospective voters.

"I've learned it's best not to let your opponent dictate your campaign," Guerry said. "I'm more concerned about what the people want and need. That's what drives me to where I go."

Abortion issue may return to Senate

In the Senate, Republicans are in a position to gain seats with only up to seven of the 46 seats truly competitive . And all seven of those seats are held by Democrats. If Republicans are able to make gains, they may try to pass further abortion restrictions as the Senate is expected to have fewer members who oppose banning abortions at conception. State law now bans abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected.

That six-week law, which has been in effect since August 2023 , includes exceptions for rape, incest, a fatal fetal anomaly and to protect the life of the mother.

Guerry said he wants to let the current law stand for a while.

"We have to remember it was just passed, and we need to give it time to see how it works out," Guerry said. "I think if we're going to revisit this, it may be time to think about letting the voters decide."

When asked directly how he would vote if a total abortion ban came before him, Guerry said he had not made a decision.

"I'm free to listen to the concerns of everybody. I would want to do more in my Senate district and make sure that I'm getting the full benefit of their opinion on it before I commit to it," Guerry said. "I'm 100% pro-life, but I do fall on the side of there needs to be some exceptions."

Ott, who voted for a six-week ban in 2021, opposed the 2023 version after lawmakers put forward a more restrictive bill. He also said he would vote against further restrictions.

Ott also has voted to put the question of abortion access before voters, a move that can only be done as a proposed state constitutional amendment and requires lawmakers to place the question on the ballot, a move Republican leadership indicated they oppose.

"Regardless of what happens, you're still going to see extreme legislation, I think, ultimately pushed, whether it comes from the House or it comes from the Senate," Ott said.

If an abortion bill is proposed, Ott said he would try to make legislation better, even if he disagreed with it. Ott said he expects some sort of abortion-related legislation to come up next year.

"I'm sure that it'll be much more restricted than what we even have on the books, I would not be surprised to see a total abortion ban bill introduced by someone," Ott said. "I will not vote for a total abortion ban. To be very clear. I didn't vote for the last one."

Either candidate would lack state Senate seniority

With neither candidate being an incumbent senator, whoever is elected will lack seniority in the upper chamber, which gives deference to those who have served in the Senate longer.

Lexington County is losing two senators after this year's election: Setzler, a Democrat who joined the chamber in 1977, and Katrina Shealy, a Republican , who joined the chamber in 2013. Both served on the Finance Committee and had sway on where state dollars are spent through the budget process. Setzler opted not to run again and Shealy was ousted by a primary challenger in June.

Ott points to his 11 years of experience in the state House in a chamber dominated by Republicans and how he is able to work with them despite being a Democrat.

"I get that seniority is very important, but I still don't think that it matters as much as the relationships that you build with people," Ott said. "I've got great relationships with senators in both the Republican and the Democratic Party, because I've worked on legislation with them in the past."

For Guerry, he will have to form those relationships if he's elected.

"I think the best way is to reach out to the senior leadership and make sure that you're there to support them and what they're trying to do. And if you show that you're there to help them, they'll help me," Guerry said.

Another issue that may come before lawmakers next year is an energy bill to meet the growing state's electricity needs.

The House passed a massive energy bill earlier this year, but it stalled in the Senate. The upper chamber now has a special committee examining how to best address the state's energy needs as it crafts legislation that could be considered next year.

Guerry said addressing the state's electricity needs will require creativity to avoid the possibility of rolling outages, but acknowledges there is no perfect solution.

"We've got to make sure we're doing what we can to make sure we have the availability of power, and we take it for granted," Guerry said. "I think it's good that they're moving forward to looking (at) what we can do. So I'm all for it, because we need it. That is essential."

Ott said any approach with energy needs to focus on reliability, affordability and sustainability. He said he believed the version that passed out of the House was too broad, but lawmakers need to keep in mind what happened with V.C. Summer when making a decision to prevent a similar debacle from happening again.

"I think everything that was included in that bill is important and worthy of discussion and worthy of work, but when you lump it all together into like an 81-page bill that gives a lot of people concern," Ott said.