Challenger defeats four-term incumbent, advances to November general election
By Delayna Earley
The Island News
Shannon N. DeLoach defeated incumbent state Rep. Michael Rivers Sr. in the Democratic primary for South Carolina House District 121 on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, ending Rivers’ nearly decade-long tenure in the State House and setting up a November matchup against Republican Shelley Gay Yuhas.
According to unofficial results from the South Carolina Election Commission, DeLoach received 2,159 votes, or 53.7%, compared to Rivers’ 1,861 votes, or 46.3%.
The victory marks one of the biggest upsets in Beaufort County’s local primary races Tuesday night, as Rivers had represented District 121 since first winning election in 2016.
Speaking with The Island News shortly after the race was called, DeLoach said voters were looking for change.
“We definitely put in the work and our message resonated with a lot of people,” DeLoach said. “People are looking for change and they voted for change.”
DeLoach, 41, is the pastor of Mt. Sinai Baptist Church in Yemassee and owner of Serenity Mortuary, which serves communities in both Beaufort and Summerville. Throughout the campaign, he focused on affordability, access to services and government accountability.
Following his victory, DeLoach said his campaign will now shift toward unifying voters across the district ahead of the general election.
“I’m truly grateful to the constituents of Beaufort and Colleton counties,” he said. “I’m going to work hard to rally those individuals behind me who did not vote for me.”
District 121 stretches across portions of Beaufort and Colleton counties, including St. Helena Island, Fripp Island, Sheldon, Green Pond, Ritter and parts of Walterboro.
While Rivers carried Beaufort County, DeLoach built a substantial advantage in Colleton County, where he outpolled the incumbent by more than 600 votes.
The race became increasingly contentious in its final weeks, with disagreements over development issues, campaign endorsements and the future direction of the district. Rivers had suggested opposition to proposed changes involving the Cultural Protection Overlay district on St. Helena Island played a role in the challenge against him, while DeLoach rejected that assertion during the campaign.
On election night, DeLoach said his focus moving forward will be on meeting with residents throughout the district and refining his policy platform.
“It’s the rallying and mobilizing toward November,” he said. “We have to start meeting with the communities now in clusters, talking more about the issues, talking about a plan for the district, addressing the affordability, the access and the accountability.”
DeLoach said he plans to hold listening sessions throughout the district and expand voter outreach efforts in the coming months.
“I’m here to work,” he said. “People have got to know that I’m accountable to them and that they know I’m going to fight for them.”
Rivers, a minister from St. Helena Island and former Beaufort County Board of Education member, is in his fifth term in the House and frequently highlighted his legislative experience and committee relationships during the campaign.
Rivers was not available for comment by phone or text message before The Island News’ deadline.
DeLoach will now face Yuhas in the Nov. 3 general election. Yuhas, a St. Helena Island resident, was unopposed in the Republican primary and previously challenged Rivers in the 2024 general election.
As celebrations continued Tuesday evening, DeLoach credited his campaign’s grassroots efforts and supporters across the district for the victory.
“The ground game made the difference,” he said. “We put in work.”
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.