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Florence SC Politics & Government

Florence SC Politics & Civic News

Covering Florence City Council, Florence County Council, South Carolina General Assembly, and your federal representatives in Washington, D.C. Accountability journalism for Florence County residents.

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POLITICS NOW
POLITICSHistoric Sites Advocates Warn on Federal Review Bill ◆ POLITICSJoe Wilson Holds SC 2nd District in Narrow Midterm Win ◆ POLITICSWilliam Schofield Enters Senate District 31 Race in Florence ◆ POLITICSSpartanburg Council Advances Three Data Center Deals ◆ POLITICSAlan Wilson Wins South Carolina Governor Race ◆ POLITICSLarue Alford Returns as Lake City Mayor After Three-Way Race ◆ POLITICSBraddock Keeps District 3 City Council Seat in Florence ◆ POLITICSSC Lieutenant Gov. Hopefuls Pitch Audits, Schools, Reform ◆ POLITICSHousing Authority Board Suspends Director in Florence ◆ POLITICSTwo Florence One School Board Seats Contested in Florence ◆ POLITICSFirst-Day Early Voting Crowds Jam Elections Office in Florence ◆ POLITICSAnnie Andrews Rallies Florence Democrats Before Early Voting ◆

Florence County sits inside one of the most layered governmental structures in the region. Residents answer to at least five levels of elected authority simultaneously: the federal government, statewide offices, Florence County Council, Florence City Council, and school district boards — each a separately elected body covering its own geographic slice of the county.

Florence’s federal delegation includes US Rep. Russell Fry (SC District 7) and Senators Darline Graham and Tim Scott. In Columbia, Florence is represented by Sens. Mike Reichenbach (District 31) and Kent M. Williams (District 30) and Reps. Wallace H. "Jay" Jordan, Jr. (District 63), Terry Alexander (District 59), Phillip D. Lowe (District 60), and Jackie E. "Coach" Hayes (District 55).

Florence County Council controls property tax millage, land-use zoning outside city limits, and fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreements. Downtown zoning decisions and the Florence Police Department budget run through Florence City Council. State funding for schools, roads, and Medicaid flows from the South Carolina General Assembly. The Florence County Elections and Voter Registration Office administers local balloting under SC Election Commission oversight.

HEREFlorence covers Florence County Council meetings, Florence City Council sessions, South Carolina General Assembly session, federal delegation votes and town halls, school board meetings, and candidate filing windows. We also pull FOIA-sourced travel records and contracts at both the city and county level. If it shapes how Florence County is governed, it’s HERE.

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Live Political Feed HEREFlorence · Politics Category
Nov 5 Historic Sites Advocates Warn on Federal Review Bill
Nov 5 Joe Wilson Holds SC 2nd District in Narrow Midterm Win
Nov 6 Spartanburg Council Advances Three Data Center Deals
Nov 5 William Schofield Enters Senate District 31 Race in Florence
Nov 4 Alan Wilson Wins South Carolina Governor Race
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Voice your opinion on local political issues
NATIONAL 523 responses

What do you think: Herzog Accepts Israel Vote Results?

Strongly support — this is overdue 37%
Cautious support — depends on the details 30%
Skeptical — need to see the cost first 18%
Oppose — not the right direction for Florence 15%
Based on our coverage · November 5, 2026
NATIONAL 262 responses

What do you think: Amish Shah Claims Win Over Jay Feely in Arizona House Race?

Strongly support — this is overdue 35%
Cautious support — depends on the details 27%
Skeptical — need to see the cost first 15%
Oppose — not the right direction for Florence 23%
Based on our coverage · November 5, 2026
Political Coverage

Local & State Political News

Florence, Florence County, & South Carolina Capitol
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Historic Sites Advocates Warn on Federal Review Bill
Nov 5, 2026
Historic Sites Advocates Warn on Federal Review Bill
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Local and national preservation groups are warning that a permitting overhaul now queued in Washington could shrink the say communities have when federally backed projects touch historic ground in South Carolina. Senate bill S. 5653 — known as the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act — lands on the Nov. 9 calendar
Joe Wilson Holds SC 2nd District in Narrow Midterm Win
Nov 5, 2026
Joe Wilson Holds SC 2nd District in Narrow Midterm Win
WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. — Rep. Joe Wilson eked out another term in South Carolina's 2nd Congressional District on Tuesday, surviving the closest general-election scare of his long House career. Unofficial returns with counties reporting put the Republican at 147,620 votes, about 49.8% of the total. Democrat Zyon Khalifa finished with 144,593, about 48.8%. Workers Party
William Schofield Enters Senate District 31 Race in Florence
Nov 5, 2026
William Schofield Enters Senate District 31 Race in Florence
FLORENCE, S.C. — A day after winning another term on Florence County Council, William Schofield said Wednesday night that he wants to move up to the South Carolina Senate. Schofield told supporters at Victor's Restaurant in downtown Florence that he will seek the District 31 seat. It opens in January, when Sen. Mike Reichenbach leaves
Spartanburg Council Advances Three Data Center Deals
Nov 6, 2026 · SC Statewide · HERE Greenville
Spartanburg Council Advances Three Data Center Deals
Via HERE Greenville: SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Spartanburg County Council moved three data center development agreements through second reading at a special meeting, clearing the way for final votes later this month. The largest package covers Valara Holdings, a NorthMark Strategies subsidiary planning a campus on South Pine Street with its own roughly 450-megawatt power plant. Council voted 4-2 […]
Alan Wilson Wins South Carolina Governor Race
Nov 4, 2026
Alan Wilson Wins South Carolina Governor Race
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Attorney General Alan Wilson will be South Carolina's next governor after the Republican defeated Democratic state Rep.…
Larue Alford Returns as Lake City Mayor After Three-Way Race
Nov 4, 2026
Larue Alford Returns as Lake City Mayor After Three-Way Race
LAKE CITY, S.C. — Voters in Lake City picked a familiar name for mayor on Tuesday, sending Larue Alford back…
Braddock Keeps District 3 City Council Seat in Florence
Nov 4, 2026
Braddock Keeps District 3 City Council Seat in Florence
FLORENCE, S.C. — Bryan A. Braddock will keep his District 3 seat on Florence City Council after winning the only…
SC Lieutenant Gov. Hopefuls Pitch Audits, Schools, Reform
Oct 31, 2026
SC Lieutenant Gov. Hopefuls Pitch Audits, Schools, Reform
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The race for South Carolina lieutenant governor rarely gets the spotlight, but the candidates on the Nov.…
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Elected Officials

Your Florence Reps

Every official with a vote on Florence's future — pulled live from our roster.

SC State Senate — Florence County
State Senate
Mike Reichenbach
State Senator
District 31
R
State Senate
Kent M. Williams
State Senator
District 30
D
SC House of Representatives — Florence County
State House
Wallace H. "Jay" Jordan, Jr.
State Representative
District 63
R
State House
Terry Alexander
State Representative
District 59
D
State House
Phillip D. Lowe
State Representative
District 60
R
State House
Jackie E. "Coach" Hayes
State Representative
District 55
D
US Congress — SC
US House
Russell Fry
US Representative
SC District 7
R
US Senate
US Senate
Darline Graham
US Senator
South Carolina
R
US Senate
Tim Scott
US Senator
South Carolina
R
Politics of Data

Data Center Florence

DATA CENTER: NEWS, INFORMATION & RESOURCE CENTER FOR FLORENCE

Full resource center →

No local data-center vote or application is on file in HERE Florence's reporting yet. If a proposal arrives, these are the people and agencies that would decide it, and this section will track it every week.

A data center in or near Florence would first need local land-use approval through City of Florence, and Florence County weighs in on land outside city limits and on tax incentives. The Public Service Commission of South Carolina is the state utility regulator; it reviews rates and large-customer power contracts for the utilities it oversees. Air and water permits come from the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services.

National context: Federal energy researchers estimate data centers used about 4.4% of all U.S. electricity in 2023 and could use 6.7% to 12% by 2028, which is why utility commissions, local boards, and voters are now central to where these campuses land. U.S. Department of Energy report

What’s on file near Florence

  • Nothing on file yetNo local data-center vote, rezoning, or application is on file in HERE Florence's reporting yet. When one is filed, it will appear here first.

Who decides: zoning, councils, utility regulators & permits

Zoning & Planning

Local Elected Body

County

State Utility Regulator

Environmental, Water & Air Permits

From across the HERE network

Full Data Center Resource Center for Florence →Questions & answers
HERE Florence · Politics of Data Brief
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A plain-language briefing on who decides, what the power contracts mean for your bill, and which communities near Florence are next. Leave your email and HERE Florence will send it as soon as it is published.

Building data centers, or organizing around them? Use the same form to get more information or to get your message out to Florence readers.

No spam. Industry, utility, and business inquiries go to our advertising team; everyone else joins the HERE Florence newsletter list.

Updated weekly. Last updated Nov 6, 2026.

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Official links for Florence County civic engagement
Data Center Resource Center for Florence→ Florence City Council Agendas → South Carolina General Assembly → Find Your District (SC) → Find Your US Rep → South Carolina State Ethics Commission → City of Florence Official Site → Rep. Russell Fry · SC District 7 → Sen. Darline Graham · US → Sen. Tim Scott · US →
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POLITICS NEWS NEAR FLORENCE SC

Politics coverage from the 10 closest HERE cities.
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Florence is in Florence County, South Carolina. Mayor: Teresa Myers Ervin; City Manager: Scotty Davis.

Latest Florence Politics News

  1. William Schofield Enters Senate District 31 Race in Florence

    FLORENCE, S.C. — A day after winning another term on Florence County Council, William Schofield said Wednesday night that he wants to move up to the South Carolina…

  2. Larue Alford Returns as Lake City Mayor After Three-Way Race

    LAKE CITY, S.C. — Voters in Lake City picked a familiar name for mayor on Tuesday, sending Larue Alford back to the office he held from 1999 to…

  3. Braddock Keeps District 3 City Council Seat in Florence

    FLORENCE, S.C. — Bryan A. Braddock will keep his District 3 seat on Florence City Council after winning the only contested council race on Tuesday’s ballot, unofficial results…

  4. Herzog Accepts Israel Vote Results

    JERUSALEM — Israeli President Isaac Herzog has signed off on the official count from the Oct. 27 parliamentary election and opened consultations with party leaders over who should…

  5. Amish Shah Claims Win Over Jay Feely in Arizona House Race

    PHOENIX, Ariz. — Amish Shah, the Democrat, has claimed the win against Republican Jay Feely in Arizona's 1st Congressional District, a Scottsdale-area seat that both parties spent heavily…

  6. Colom Holds Narrow Lead Over Hyde-Smith

    JACKSON, Miss. — Democrat Scott Colom held a lead of just over 1,100 votes over Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith early Thursday, with the Mississippi U.S. Senate race still…

  7. Historic Sites Advocates Warn on Federal Review Bill

    CHARLESTON, S.C. — Local and national preservation groups are warning that a permitting overhaul now queued in Washington could shrink the say communities have when federally backed projects…

  8. Joe Wilson Holds SC 2nd District in Narrow Midterm Win

    WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. — Rep. Joe Wilson eked out another term in South Carolina's 2nd Congressional District on Tuesday, surviving the closest general-election scare of his long House…

  9. Troy Jackson Ousts Susan Collins in Maine Senate Race

    PORTLAND, Maine — Democrat Troy Jackson has won Maine's U.S. Senate seat, defeating five-term Republican Sen. Susan Collins and closing out a Senate career that began in 1997.…

  10. Democrats Win Back the Senate and House in Midterm Sweep

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Democrats took back control of the U.S. Senate in Tuesday's midterm elections, flipping Republican seats in states that had looked out of reach a few…

  11. Democrat Brian Poindexter Unseats GOP Rep. Max Miller

    CLEVELAND, Ohio — Republican Rep. Max Miller lost his seat Tuesday, as Democrat Brian Poindexter won the 7th Congressional District race and flipped a northeast Ohio seat Republicans…

  12. Alaska Senate Race Between Sullivan

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Alaska's U.S. Senate race remained undecided Wednesday morning, with Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan holding a narrow lead over Democrat Mary Peltola in preliminary results and…