Joint assembly elects judges across South Carolina courts; several races decided by roll call

The Joint Assembly convened Feb. 19 to elect judges nominated by the Judicial Merit Selection Commission, filling seats on the South Carolina Court of Appeals, circuit courts, family courts and the Administrative Law Court.

The votes, called and recorded by the reading clerk, produced numerous acclamations and several contested ballots. Notable contested outcomes included Christopher Dolan Taylor’s election to the Fifth Judicial Circuit seat after a joint ballot, Thomas J. Rhodes’ election after a roll-call tally, and Jane H. Merrill’s victory in a second ballot for Circuit Court at-large seat 7. Samuel L. Johnson was elected to the Administrative Law Court after a recorded roll-call vote.

Why this matters: These elections fill judicial vacancies across multiple levels of South Carolina’s court system and will affect caseload assignments and judicial benches across the state. Several results were by acclamation, signaling consensus on many nominees; the contested races show where the assembly divided and required formal balloting.

Votes at a glance: the assembly recorded the following outcomes (office; nominee; outcome; vote tally if recorded) Christie F. Curtis — Court of Appeals, Seat 2; elected by acclamation. John D. Gathers — Court of Appeals, Seat 3; elected by acclamation. Paula H. Thomas — Court of Appeals, Seat 4; elected by acclamation. Eugene P. Warr Jr. — Circuit Court, Fourth Judicial Circuit, Seat 2; elected by acclamation. Christopher Dolan Taylor — Circuit Court, Fifth Judicial Circuit, Seat 1; elected (112 votes to 36 for William K. Witherspoon, grand total 148; 75 needed). J. Durham Cole Jr. — Circuit Court, Seventh Judicial Circuit, Seat 1; elected by acclamation. Dedra L. Jefferson — Circuit Court, Ninth Judicial Circuit, Seat 1; elected by acclamation. Thomas J. Rhodes — Circuit Court, Ninth Judicial Circuit, Seat 2; elected by recorded roll call (125 to 13). Lawton McIntosh — Circuit Court, Tenth Judicial Circuit, Seat 1; elected by acclamation. David Shawn Graham — Circuit Court, Eleventh Judicial Circuit, Seat 1; elected by acclamation. Melissa Anzarello — Circuit Court, Sixteenth Judicial Circuit, Seat 2; not elected (54 to 93 against). D. Grant Gibbons / William Vickery Metz / Jane H. Merrill — Circuit Court, At-Large Seat 7; after the first ballot (Gibbons 24, Metz 70, Merrill 65) D. Grant Gibbons withdrew; second ballot between Metz and Merrill produced Merrill’s election (Jane H. Merrill 84, William V. Metz 74; necessary to a choice 81). R. Keith Kelly — Circuit Court, At-Large Seat 14; elected by acclamation. Maite D. Murphy — Circuit Court, At-Large Seat 15; elected by recorded roll call (128 to 13). Charles J. McCutcheon — Circuit Court, At-Large Seat 16; elected by acclamation. Anne Gay Jones — Family Court, First Judicial Circuit, Seat 1; elected by acclamation. Amanda Frances Whittle — Family Court, Second Judicial Circuit, Seat 1; elected by acclamation. Angela W. (as recorded) — Family Court, Second Judicial Circuit, Seat 2; elected by acclamation. William A. W. Buxton — Family Court, Third Judicial Circuit, Seat 1; elected by acclamation. Angela R. Taylor — Family Court, Third Judicial Circuit, Seat 2; elected by acclamation. Ernest Joseph Jarrett — Family Court, Third Judicial Circuit, Seat 3; elected by acclamation. C. Heath Ruffner — Family Court, Fourth Circuit, Seat 2; elected by acclamation. Michelle M. Hurley — Family Court, Fifth Circuit, Seat 2; elected by acclamation. M. Scott Rankin — Family Court, Fifth Circuit, Seat 3; elected by acclamation. Corinne B. Curry (recorded variants) — Family Court, Sixth Circuit, Seat 1; elected by acclamation. Angela J. Moss — Family Court, Seventh Circuit, Seat 1; elected by acclamation. M. Todd Thigpen — Family Court, Seventh Circuit, Seat 2; elected by acclamation. James Conway Todd IV — Family Court, Eighth Circuit, Seat 1; elected by acclamation. Joseph C. Smithfield — Family Court, Eighth Circuit, Seat 3; elected by acclamation. Alice Ann Richter — Family Court, Ninth Judicial Circuit, Seat 2; elected by acclamation. Blakely Copeland Cahoon — Family Court, Ninth Circuit, Seat 4; elected by acclamation. David J. Brusso — Family Court, Tenth Circuit, Seat 1; elected by acclamation. M. Scott McElhannon — Family Court, Tenth Circuit, Seat 3; elected by acclamation. Huntley Smith Crouch — Family Court, Eleventh Circuit, Seat 2; elected by acclamation. Robert E. Newton — Family Court, Eleventh Circuit, Seat 3; elected by acclamation. Alicia Allsbrook Richardson — Family Court, Twelfth Circuit, Seat 1; elected by acclamation. Fitz Lee H. McCann — Family Court, Twelfth Circuit, Seat 2; elected by acclamation. Rochelle Yarborough Conitz — Family Court, Thirteenth Circuit, Seat 1; elected by recorded roll call (116 to 14). W. Marsh Robertson — Family Court, Thirteenth Circuit, Seat 2; elected by acclamation. Marcela Torriquez — Family Court, Thirteenth Circuit, Seat 6; elected by acclamation after other candidates withdrew. Gerald C. Smoke Jr. — Family Court, Fourteenth Circuit, Seat 1; elected by acclamation. Jan B. Bridal Holmes — Family Court, Fifteenth Circuit, Seat 1; elected by recorded roll call (107 to 17). David G. Guyton — Family Court, Sixteenth Circuit, Seat 2; elected by acclamation. Kamika Nichols Graham — Family Court, At-Large Seat 1; elected by acclamation. Timothy E. Madden — Family Court, At-Large Seat 2; elected by acclamation. James G. McGee III — Family Court, At-Large Seat 3; elected by acclamation. Monet Pincus — Family Court, At-Large Seat 4; elected by acclamation. Randall E. McGee — Family Court, At-Large Seat 5; elected by acclamation. David Earl Phillips — Family Court, At-Large Seat 6; elected by acclamation. Samuel L. Johnson — Administrative Law Court, Seat 2; elected (Samuel L. Johnson 96, Christian Cross 56; necessary to a choice 77; total 152). Robert L. Ribaugh — Administrative Law Court, Seat 3; elected by acclamation.

Most nominations were presented by the Judicial Merit Selection Committee and read by the assembly’s reading clerk; many nominees were elected by acclamation when no objections were recorded. Contested nominations were resolved by roll-call or by house-and-senate ballot as recorded by the clerk. The joint assembly adjourned after completing the elections.

Sources and procedure notes: Nominations were handled pursuant to the Judicial Merit Selection Commission process (transcript cited "pursuant to section 2-19-90") and votes were recorded by the reading clerk during the joint assembly.

The assembly’s remaining business and confirmations proceeded in the Senate chamber following the joint session.