Republican incumbent Bill Herbkersman wins 12th term in SC District 118 by 30% points
Republican incumbent Bill Herbkersman has won reelection, defeating Democratic newcomer Charity Owens in the race for South Carolina's District 118, which includes central and western Bluffton, Sun City and parts of Okatie.
With all 30 precincts counted by 12:10 p.m., Herbkersman won 15,514 votes or 65.4% of the unofficial tally. This victory extends Herbkersman's tenure in office, marking his 12th term since he was first elected in 2002. Owens received 34.5% with 8,189 votes.
Herbkersman ran on a platform focused on enhancing resources for workforce housing, supporting local educational institutions like the Technical College of the Lowcountry and the University of South Carolina Beaufort and advocating for seniors and their families. Throughout his campaign, he highlighted his role in securing funding for nursing home and in-home care, with a particular emphasis on improving mental health services for dementia and Alzheimer's patients.
Having served on the influential Ways and Means Committee and chaired a healthcare subcommittee, Herbkersman has helped pass legislation aimed at raising teacher salaries statewide — a measure he says benefits South Carolina's future generations. His environmental work in preserving green spaces and clean waterways, including the May River, also earned him the Green Tie Award.
Herbkersman has also pushed for the expansion of Telehealth services, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, to help residents access healthcare more conveniently. In collaboration with Novant Health, he is working on establishing a new hospital in Beaufort County, a project aimed at addressing Bluffton's rapidly growing healthcare needs. Additionally, he advocated for road improvements and increased funding for highways to alleviate traffic congestion, a rising issue in Bluffton due to rapid population growth.
The State House consists of 124 part-time citizen legislators elected every two years to represent the state's districts, including 87 Republicans, 35 Democrats and two vacancies, prior to Election Day results. The General Assembly's annual session will begin on the second Tuesday in January and runs through the second Thursday in May.
