The embattled four-term treasurer Curtis Loftis said he was not surprised by the vote; a two-thirds House vote is required to complete an ouster

Democrats’ panic over what they stand for and whether they can credibly compete beyond the bluest states is already erupting in the rush to recruit Senate candidates across the country for next year — a desperate effort to dig out from years of losses that have them far from power at a moment they need it most.

South Carolina senators voted 33-8 Monday night to approve a resolution to remove the state treasurer from office after an eight-hour hearing.

Opinion editor Matthew T. Hall writes that this week’s state Senate confirmation hearing for the governor’s Department of Environmental Sciences nominee didn’t give him hope for the future.