In less than 30 minutes Thursday, the fulcrum of power in South Carolina shifted dramatically to the coast.

The Upstate lost a powerful advocate as Greenville Republican David Wilkins, House speaker for the past 11 years, resigned effective June 21 — the day he will be sworn as U.S. ambassador to Canada.

Greenville’s loss is Charleston’s gain — House members Thursday elected Charleston Republican Bobby Harrell to succeed Wilkins.

Lawmakers made the change on their last, anxious day of the legislative session. It ended a contentious race that has distracted House members for months and tinged their decisions on everything from the state budget to what bills they considered.

Harrell’s election, the most significant State House leadership change in years, means that arguably the four most influential posts in state government — governor, Senate president pro tem, House speaker and House majority leader — all are from the Lowcountry.

Thursday, lawmakers were buzzing about the ascendancy of another Charleston politician.

In a speech on the Senate floor, Sen. John Courson, R-Richland, half-seriously called the city the “Independent Republic of Charleston,” comparing pork-barrel projects headed there to lavishing the city with foreign aid.

“This is a serious crisis in government,” he said.

Sen. Larry Grooms, R-Berkeley, later asked for a unanimous vote to move the state capital to Charleston.

But others said Harrell’s election doesn’t mean Charleston will benefit more than other regions.

Nor is Harrell’s election permanent, reminded Rep. Doug Jennings, D-Marlboro.

“Bobby is a good enough leader to know he has to be sensitive to other geographic areas,” he said, “especially since we re-elect a new speaker in, what is it, 18 months?”

The last day of the legislative session is like the last day of school. Lawmakers often bring family and spend the day rushing through last-minute action on bills.

This year, it was legislation doing away with minibottles and shoring up the state retirement system that sneaked through in the final hours.

But it was the speaker’s election and Wilkins’ resignation that had everyone’s attention.

Since rumors surfaced about Wilkins leaving for Canada, House members have been divided. The slate of hopefuls narrowed from five candidates several weeks ago to just two by Wednesday.

Until Thursday morning, many thought a dramatic, public vote could determine whether Harrell or Rep. Jim Harrison, R-Richland, would be the next speaker.

Harrison scrambled for votes until late Wednesday — even calling one supporter back from a trip to South America — but couldn’t rally the number he needed.

He took the floor the next morning to withdraw and ask his supporters to vote for Harrell.

“We owe Bobby our unified support so he can be the next great speaker,” he said.

At noon, Wilkins submitted his resignation, triggering the election.

What could have been a unanimous decision turned unexpectedly into a tempest when Rep. Dan Tripp, R-Greenville, refused to vote for Harrell, who chairs the powerful budget-writing committee.

Tripp said he and Harrell had clashed over votes and Harrell had threatened to withhold projects for Tripp’s district from the budget.

“I’m here in the House representing my district and my party,” Tripp said. “I’m taking a stand based on principle.”

Harrell said he never threatened Tripp.

But the talk of coercion and retribution have hung over the speaker’s race for months. Thursday, House members were visibly relieved to move on.

Whether there will be significant changes to committees and other leadership positions is yet to be determined. A new Ways and Means Committee chairman will be elected in coming weeks.

“We need to formulate a plan for where we believe South Carolina needs to go from here and how we intend to get there,” Harrell said. “And then we need to make it happen.”

In the end, Thursday was Wilkins’ day.

Speaking from the floor that afternoon, Wilkins thanked House members for their support over the last 11 years. He invited them to visit the ambassador’s residence in Ottawa.

And then, tearfully, he said goodbye.

“It is with profound gratitude that I conclude this chapter and prepare to write the next. I carry with me the gift of your friendship and the memories of a lifetime... Thank you.”

Staff writers Jeff Stensland, Aaron Gould Sheinin and Lauren Markoe contributed to this report.