Gambrell Takes SC Senate Seat of the Late Billy O’Dell

Mike Gambrell

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – The South Carolina Senate is back to its full 46 members after Anderson County Republican Mike Gambrell took his seat.

Gambrell was sworn in Tuesday after winning a special election last week to fill the rest of the late Republican Sen. Billy O’Dell’s term.

The 58-year-old lawmaker was a House member, and gave a farewell speech to that chamber before moving across the lobby.

Gambrell received 58 percent of the vote in the Republican primary runoff to defeat Williamston Town Councilman Rockey Burgess in state Senate District 4 which covers Anderson, Greenville and Abbeville counties. He ran unopposed in the special election.

Gambrell and Burgess meet again in the June GOP primary for a full four-year term. The winner then faces Williamston Democrat Mark Powell in November.