Glenn McConnell, the powerful Republican Senate leader from Charleston, torpedoed challenger Justin Kahn and solidified his position as the Senate's legislative captain.

One of Sanford's closest allies, Isle of Palms attorney Chip Campsen, brought the gavel down on Constance Anastopoulo's bid to unseat him.

Only Robert Ford, the fiery Democrat and former car salesman, was able to challenge Sanford's machine, coasting toward victory over Maurice Washington. Washington ran as an independent but received strong endorsements from Sanford.

For the most part, it was a good night for incumbents in the Senate, and for Sanford.

Throughout the campaign season, candidates did their best to associate themselves with the governor, said Bill Moore, a political science professor at the College of Charleston. "Sometimes it seemed like every piece of literature tied the governor to a candidate."

Many of these candidates, including McConnell, did well Tuesday. "This certainly could pay dividends for Sanford," Moore said.

DIST. 41: MCCONNELL BEATS KAHN

McConnell ran strongly against Kahn, winning 64 percent of the vote to Kahn's 36 percent. Upon learning the results, McConnell said he would "spend the next few days rewriting the Senate's rules." After that, he'll start building what he hopes will be bipartisan support for systemic change in the General Assembly.

Despite the margin of victory, the race was hard-fought. Kahn, a Charleston attorney and political newcomer, called McConnell a career politician and accused him of violating state ethics laws by channeling public money to the conservation of the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley.

"I figure I didn't do so badly, considering I only had to take on the governor, the leader of the Senate and the attorney general," Kahn said, adding that he had fun campaigning. "I'm very proud of what I did."

McConnell's victory solidified his status as one of the most powerful politicians in the state, a position he earned by mastering the Senate's arcane rules. As a junior senator, McConnell listened to cassette tapes on Senate procedures on his rides back to Charleston. Over the years, he learned how to use these rules to block or push through legislation. In 2000, McConnell became Senate leader when the Republicans took control.

McConnell said Tuesday night that his victory was an endorsement of his efforts to shift the balance of power in the General Assembly from the Upstate to the Lowcountry. McConnell's victory also may be a big boost for Sanford.

One of Sanford's legislative priorities is a plan to rewrite Senate rules to make it more difficult for individual lawmakers to block legislation.

Over the years, these rules made it more difficult for one political party to steamroll another. At the same time, it helped make the Senate more collegial than the rough-and-tumble House.

With McConnell at the legislative chess table, Sanford may have the right pieces to consolidate Republican control of the General Assembly.

DISTRICT 43: CAMPSEN OVER ANASTOPOULO

In a race that pit two Isle of Palms attorneys against each other, Chip Campsen beat Constance Anastopoulo. Campsen had 62 percent of the vote, while Anastopoulo had 38 percent.

Campsen ran on his record as a House member and as a policy advisor for Sanford. He also is an ally of McConnell.

As the results came in, Campsen attributed his success in part to his father, saying that many voters said they knew the Campsen name.

Campsen said he reached out to Democrats during the campaign and hopes to do that in the Senate.

"The partisanship that exists in Washington -- we should do all we can to avoid that on the state level," he said.

Anastopoulo said she campaigned to "give people a choice" and said there was only so much that Democrats could do in a Republican stronghold. She described Campsen as a "political machine."

Even though she lost, she said she hoped her campaign encouraged more women to get involved in politics.

She said that she doesn't plan to run for elective office again but hopes to remain active in political circles in other ways.

DIST. 42: FORD DEFEATS WASHINGTON

Another political veteran, state Sen. Robert Ford, also had a good night, garnering 69 percent of the vote, while Washington had 31 percent.

"I thank the people in Senate District 42 for the love they've shown me," Ford said Tuesday.

Washington, a former Charleston city councilman, congratulated Ford on "his outstanding showing."

Ford's victory was a loss of sorts for Sanford.

Though he ran as an independent, Washington received plenty of support from the governor and other Republican heavy-hitters, especially in recent weeks.

It was Ford's second victory over Washington, who lost a runoff election to Ford in the 2000 Democratic Senate primary.

This time, Washington ran as an independent, hoping to bring leadership change to District 42, which includes parts of Charleston and North Charleston. Both candidates campaigned hard; both threw mud.

Ford's 12 years in the Senate may have swayed voters his way.

Washington said that he feared the straight ticket vote would hurt him most at the polls.

Ford said he hopes to tackle infrastructure needs, what he sees as a top priority in his district. To fix dilapidated roads, bridges and sidewalks, he wants to re-establish video poker and allow riverboat gambling in South Carolina.

DIST. 37: GROOMS BEATS POWELL

Republican Larry Grooms sealed his third term with a victory over Democratic challenger Stewart Powell III. With all but one precinct counted, Grooms had 63 percent, while Powell had 37 percent.

"The people turned out in great numbers and voted their conscience," Grooms said. "I felt I would win but not by this huge of a margin."

Both candidates made education a priority in their race for the district seat, which stretches in an arc around Lake Moultrie from Mount Pleasant to Jamestown to St. Stephen, and then south to Walterboro in Colleton County.

Grooms, who has served in the Senate for two-terms, focused his educational reform goals based on the federal No Child Left Behind and state Education Accountability acts.

Grooms, 40, wants to help education funding by reducing the income tax and encouraging small business growth.

Balancing landowners' rights with environmental resource conservation has been an important issue for Grooms as well, along with altering Senate rules he believes have hindered the Legislature.

Powell, 35, was encouraged to run after being shot during a robbery at his St. Stephen supermarket in 1999. When he learned that the shooter had little to no schooling, he made a goal to reform education.

DIST 44: MESCHER TRUMPS BLANKS

Bill Mescher handily won a fourth term, defeating attorney Lindsay Blanks in a district that covers a wedge of suburbs in Hanahan and Goose Creek, and southern Berkeley County to Moncks Corner.

With all but one precinct reporting, Mescher had 66 percent of the vote; Blanks had 34 percent.

"I want to thank all the people who showed confidence in me, for five campaigns," Mescher said, adding: "It looks like I'll be employed for the next four years."

Mescher, 77, a Pinopolis businessman, ran to replace personal property tax with a 2 percent sales tax, continue tort reform, look for ways to make public education more efficient and use state lottery money to improve it.

Mescher has routinely been re-elected by 2-to-1 margins.

Mescher made the rounds of the 25 polling places Tuesday, where he'd planned to greet voters. But, he said he spent more time setting up new campaign signs. Both candidates complained of widespread vandalism of signs through the district.

Blanks, 42, spent most of the day in shirt, tie and sneakers outside the Stratford polling places at Stratford High School, two of the district's larger precincts, in his hometown of Goose Creek. He had campaigned hard enough to impress even his opponent, and stubbornly refused to consider anything but winning as he handed out mints and Dum-Dum candies and asked people for votes.

"I want us to make real progress in South Carolina, no matter who the senator is. We need to come together to do that. The time for good old boy politics is over. We've got real problems to solve," he said.

THE VERDICT: FEW CHOICES

Elsewhere across the state, there were few upsets, which didn't surprise Moore, the College of Charleston political scientist.

Over the years, legislators have redrawn their districts to protect incumbents and parties, he said.

The result: "Districts that truly give people a choice," he said. "Very few races are competitive now, and voters simply don't have many choices."

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