Charleston SC Politics & Civic News
Covering Charleston City Council, Charleston County Council, South Carolina General Assembly, and your federal representatives in Washington, D.C. Accountability journalism for Charleston County residents.
Charleston 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, Charleston County Council, Charleston City Council, and school district boards — each a separately elected body covering its own geographic slice of the county.
Charleston’s federal delegation includes US Rep. Nancy Mace (SC District 1) and US Rep. James Clyburn (SC District 6) and Senators Darline Graham and Tim Scott. In Columbia, Charleston is represented by Sens. Ed Sutton (District 20), Matthew W. "Matt" Leber (District 41), Lawrence K. "Larry" Grooms (District 37), Brian Adams (District 44), Margie Bright Matthews (District 45), George E. "Chip" Campsen III (District 43), and Deon T. Tedder (District 42) and Reps. Leonidas E. "Leon" Stavrinakis (District 119), Marvin "Mark" Smith (District 99), Elizabeth "Spencer" Wetmore (District 115), Gary S. Brewer, Jr. (District 114), Carl L. Anderson (District 103), Wendell G. Gilliard (District 111), James E. Teeple (District 116), and Thomas F. "Tom" Hartnett, Jr. (District 110).
Charleston County Council controls property tax millage, land-use zoning outside city limits, and fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreements. Downtown zoning decisions and the Charleston Police Department budget run through Charleston City Council. State funding for schools, roads, and Medicaid flows from the South Carolina General Assembly. The Charleston County Elections and Voter Registration Office administers local balloting under SC Election Commission oversight.
HERE Charleston covers Charleston County Council meetings, Charleston 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 Charleston County is governed, it’s HERE.
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Charleston is in Charleston County, South Carolina. Mayor: William S. Cogswell Jr.; Mayor Pro Tem: Karl L. Brady Jr..
Latest Charleston Politics News
Charleston Council Opens Floor to Residents on 2027 City Budget
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Charleston residents who want a say in how the city spends its money next year get their chance Tuesday, when City Council holds a public…
College of Charleston Students Train to Work the Polls
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Dozens of College of Charleston students are getting ready to staff polling places on Nov. 3 after a hands-on session with the same voting machines…
Charleston Mayor Lays Out Daniel Island Growth and Traffic Plans
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Traffic jams, flooding and the pace of new construction dominated a Tuesday night forum on Daniel Island in Charleston, South Carolina, where Mayor William Cogswell…
Atwood Crosses District 110 on Foot and Water in Charleston
CHARLESTON, S.C. — A candidate for State House District 110 spent the first day of early voting covering his Charleston-area district the hard way, on foot and by…
Seven Early Voting Sites Open Monday Across Charleston County
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Charleston County voters get seven places to cast an early ballot when in-person early voting for the statewide general election starts Monday, Oct. 19. Inside…
Judge Keeps Trees Standing at East Potomac Golf Links
WASHINGTON — No more trees can come down at East Potomac Golf Links while a court fight over the public course plays out, a federal judge in the…
Israelis Vote in First National Election
JERUSALEM — Israelis streamed to polling places Tuesday in the country's first national election since the Hamas-led attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, with early turnout running at its…
Beasley and Hodges Back Andrews as Trump Returns for Graham
COLUMBIA, S.C. — With a week left before voters statewide pick a U.S. senator, both campaigns in the race picked up heavyweight help Monday: two former governors from…
McMaster’s Top Lawyer Picked for SC Federal Judgeship
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The chief legal counsel to Gov. Henry McMaster is in line for a lifetime seat on the federal bench in South Carolina, after the White…
Data Center Super PAC Spends Big for Graham
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The statewide fight over data centers and the economic investment they promise has moved from county council chambers into the U.S. Senate race voters will…
Appeals Court Sets Saturday Deadline
LOS ANGELES — California has until noon Saturday to answer the federal government in a fast-moving fight over whether about 20,000 mail ballots should be pulled aside before…
Intelligence Chief Warns Iran Is Stepping Up Plots
WASHINGTON — Iran has sharply ramped up its effort to go after American personnel outside the United States, and some of its plans to kill U.S. citizens have…
