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by DYLAN NOLAN
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Outgoing South Carolina state representative Bobby Cox abruptly suspended his campaign for the S.C. Senate on Friday afternoon (August 29, 2025) – sparking a flood of scrutiny regarding his unexpected decision.
Cox’s surprise withdrawal from the race for S.C. Senate District 12 (.pdf) came less than three weeks after he announced his candidacy for this seat – which is being vacated by state senator Roger Nutt. It also came mere days after he secured a ringing endorsement from Nutt – who stepped down due to a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.
Believed by many to be the frontrunner to replace Nutt, Cox gave up his seat in the S.C. House of Representatives to campaign in this election – which made his abrupt withdrawal from the race even more surprising.
Cox announced his decision at 4:00 p.m. EDT on the Friday before an extended Labor Day holiday – timing which further raised eyebrows.
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“Friends, family, and supporters: I have been honored and humbled by the encouragement to run for South Carolina Senate District 12, especially from my friend Senator Roger Nutt,” Cox wrote in a Facebook post on his campaign page. “After much prayer and reflection, I have decided to suspend my campaign and not file for the office.”
Cox cited “unexpected” professional obligations as his reason for stepping aside.
“In recent weeks, unexpected work responsibilities and a demanding travel schedule have increased significantly,” he wrote. “Even with new teammates stepping in, these commitments would prevent me from giving the campaign — and more importantly, the people of District 12 — the full presence and energy they deserve, both on the trail and in the legislative session ahead.”
The district “deserves a senator who can be fully present,” Cox added.
“While I step aside from this race, I remain committed to making the Upstate the very best place to live, work, and raise a family,” he said.
Cox is chief government affairs officer and senior vice president for German firearm manufacturer SIG Sauer, a position which had kept him away from the State House quite often in recent years. During the recently concluded legislative session, Cox missed 16 of 31 votes scored by the American Action Fund, a national pro-liberty group.
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RELATED | LEE BRIGHT ENTERS S.C. SENATE SPECIAL ELECTION
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With Cox out of the race, former state senator Lee Bright – who represented this district for two terms – now seems to be the frontrunner to reclaim his seat.
Bright was first elected to represent this district 2008 – and reelected four years later as the Tea Party movement in the Palmetto State reached its zenith. In 2016, however, Bright was narrowly defeated by former senator Scott Talley in a Republican runoff election. Two years after losing his seat, Bright was beaten again by William Timmons in another GOP runoff election – this time for the U.S. fourth district congressional seat.
Last spring, Bright ran unsuccessfully for this seat – losing to Nutt in (you guessed it) yet another Republican runoff.
In addition to Bright, former Spartanburg County clerk of court Hope Blackley is also campaigning for this seat.
Filing for this special election opened at 12:00 p.m. EDT today and will close at the same time next Saturday (September 6, 2025). A special partisan primary election for this seat is currently scheduled for Tuesday, October 21, 2025, with partisan runoffs scheduled for two weeks later – on November 4, 2025. The special election itself is scheduled to be held on December 23, 2025.
Count on FITSNews to keep our audience apprised as to the latest developments in this race…
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
(Via: Travis Bell)
Dylan Nolan is the director of special projects at FITSNews. He graduated from the Darla Moore school of business in 2021 with an accounting degree. Got a tip or story idea for Dylan? Email him here. You can also engage him socially @DNolan2000.
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5 comments
When you are wrong, admit it. Evidently, I had Hope Blackley wrong. The word from Spartanburg is that she is a bright star.
If he missed so many votes as a representative we sure don’t need him in the senate. Hope Blackley would be a great choice. Certainly the folks of Spartanburg won’t put “not so bright” Lee back in office. He was a disaster
Falling under the spell of yet another Gowdy acolyte, don’t Spartanburg voters ever want to get something right. Chuck Wright, Rusty Clevenger
, Hope Blackley. All backed by Lindsay Graham lite Gowdy
If he’s leaving because he can’t balance job commitments with public service, that’s unfortunate. It takes a remarkable person to become the head cadet at the Citadel. Looks like he’s also a lieutenant colonel in the Guard, which probably contributes to his lack of time.
Bobby is an extremely solid guy. I’ve known him for years. From my experience he’s a devoted father and husband, and a tireless worker. I have no intel here, but I’d imagine the time trade off is no longer worth it to him given his kid’s ages. That said, with his background and personality, I always pegged him for a future governor or US representative. He’s built for it. Hope all is okay with him.