It's a dangerous time to be an incumbent in South Carolina.

Voters are throwing them out of office.

They include the majority leader of the SC House, Rick Quinn.

It could be a sign that GOP voters are siding with Republican Governor Mark Sanford in his battle with the Republican-controlled legislature.

But will it loosen the logjam in Columbia?

"I think in some cases it may help (Sanford)," said Furman University Professor Danielle Vinson. "If these new people come in, they're not part of this sort of Republican establishment and they may be more willing to work with him."

In Greenville County, Republican voters ousted the chairwoman of county council, Phyllis Henderson, as well as incumbents Steve Selby and Dozier Brooks.

Democrats hope it signals a shift amongst the electorate.

"I think what it shows is that there are people who are in the middle," said Andy Arnold, chairman of the Democratic Party in Greenville County. "I mean, I think you've got people on each extreme. But people are looking for something in the middle."

New, moderate voices on the council may also curb the power of Vice-Chairman Scott Case.

"I think they're going to be much more likely to think for themselves," said Vinson. "Not be so quick to follow him. And they've got some strong ideas and opinions about some of the issues that council's faced in recent years."

Vinson does not believe there's necessarily an anti-incumbent mood in South Carolina but that issues in these individual races did-in the candidate with experience.