Ceips took 69 percent of Tuesday's vote to Schwartz's 30 percent as she claimed a second two-year term representing District 124, which covers most of northern Beaufort County south of Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort.
Several absentee ballots cast in races throughout the county were left to be counted late Tuesday but didn't appear to be a factor in the District 124 race.
"I'm just really pleased the voters decided to send me back," Ceips said from the local Republican party headquarters on Boundary Street. "I want the voters to know I'll continue to work hard and listen to what they say."
Schwartz thanked his supporters and volunteers Tuesday night and said he was proud of the clean campaign he and his staff ran.
"The Beaufort County Democratic Party has made significant progress," he said. "We will continue to convey a message of hope, and to be a party for all walks of life."
About 100 supporters spilled into the parking lot of the local GOP office as Tuesday's results filed in, cheering as Ceips arrived and stopping to pose for photographs with her.
Ceips, who was elected to her first term in 2002 and was a local staffer for U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson before that, said she hadn't expected to win by such a large margin, but was gratified to see her support extended beyond party lines.
"I got focused on one day at a time," she said. "I really hadn't polled. I had no idea."
Happy to spend the night celebrating at Bertos Grill Tex-Mex, Ceips had a list of issues to address when the legislature reconvenes in January.
"We've got to look at education," Ceips said. "We're 50th in the nation. We'd be remiss if we didn't make some changes."
Ceips said she also planned to address statewide issues like income tax reduction and human trafficking, as well as smaller issues that matter to Beaufort County residents.
Also Tuesday, Republican Richard Chalk won Hilton Head Island's seat in the state House of Representatives with 66 percent of the vote to petition candidate Greg Wynn's 33 percent.
Chalk, a real estate agent, won the seat held by retiring Rep. JoAnne Gilham, a Republican.
When Chalk goes to Columbia it won't be his first time as a lawmaker. He served in the North Carolina House from 1985-89 and then in that state's Senate in 1989-90.
In June, Chalk defeated Beaufort County Councilwoman Starletta Hairston in the Republican primary election.
In unopposed races Tuesday, Democratic state Rep. Walter P. Lloyd was re-elected to his District 121 seat, which covers parts of Beaufort and Colleton counties, incumbent Democrat Thayer Rivers Jr. was re-elected in District 122, which covers parts of Hampton, Jasper and Beaufort counties, and Republican Bill Herbkersman was re-elected to Beaufort County's District 118.
In unopposed state Senate races, Democrat Clementa Pinckney was re-elected to District 45, which covers parts of Beaufort, Charleston, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper counties and state Sen. Scott Richardson, R-Hilton Head Island, was re-elected in an unopposed race for the state's District 46 seat, which covers all of Beaufort County.