On November 2, the citizens of Bamberg County, the state of South Carolina and the nation went to the polls to cast their ballots for candidates running for a number of positions including but not limited to the local county council, governor and U.S. House of Representatives to name a few.

Voter turnout in this 2010 midterm election was reported as “heavy” across South Carolina and many parts of the nation. In Bamberg County, of the 8,909 registered voters 4,894 or 54.93 percent showed up at the polls or cast absentee ballots for the candidates of their choice on Tuesday.

In the highly anticipated race for Governor of South Carolina, despite losing her own county of birth, Bamberg native and Lexington County Republican State Representative Nikki R. Haley of Lexington rode a Republican wave to victory on November 2, to become the first female and minority Governor of the State of South Carolina.

In traditionally democratic Bamberg County, Haley received 1,661 votes or 34.42 percent to 3,086 or 63.95 percent of the vote to Democratic State Senator Vincent A. Sheheen of Kershaw County. Statewide Haley received 690,525 votes or 51.37 percent to Sheheen’s 630,534 votes or 46.91 percent.

In another statewide race of local interest Barnwell County born and Bamberg County raised Democratic candidate for State Attorney General Matthew Richardson received 3,300 votes or 69.11 percent of the votes in Bamberg County compared to 1,439 votes or 30.14 percent for Republican Alan Wilson of Lexington. Statewide Richardson received 589,135 votes to 716,193 for Alan Wilson.

U.S. House of Representatives Rep. James E. “Jim” Clyburn has the distinction of being the only Democrat in the South Carolina legislative delegation to return to Washington. Locally, Clyburn defeated Republican challenger Jim Pratt 3,129 to 1,624 or 65.27 percent of the vote. District wide Clyburn polled 125,459 votes to Pratt’s 72,661 votes.

Winners In other local races on Tuesday were: State House of Representatives District 90 Bakari Sellers received 3,822 votes to 20 (Write-In); Auditor: Margaret B. Meyer 4,079 to 5; County Treasurer Alice P. Johnson 4,152 to 4; County Council District 2 Alzena Robinson 467 to 3; County Council District 3 Larry M. Haynes 690 to 12 and County Council District 6 Evert Comer Jr. 628 to 0.