COLUMBIA – Congressmen John Spratt and Jim Clyburn touted their experience and solid supporters to hold off new attempts to unseat the longtime Democrats in a state controlled by Republicans.

Returns Tuesday showed Clyburn won his eighth term in the majority-black 6th District. With 42 percent of precincts reporting, he had 72 percent of the vote against his perennial GOP challenger Gary McLeod.

Clyburn said it looked as though Democrats had a good chance of taking control of the U.S. House.

“I really think it’s time for us to have some accountability,” he said, speaking from Washington, where he was keeping track of races in South Carolina and nationwide. “This Congress is rubber-stamping everything the White House does. Something’s really wrong with that.”

Currently chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, Clyburn is campaigning to become majority whip – the third-ranking post in the House – should Democrats win control.

No black lawmaker has held a higher position in Congress.

In the 5th District, GOP freshman state legislator Ralph Norman had national party leaders, including Vice President Dick Cheney, help him become Spratt’s most well-financed foe ever in a district thought to lean increasingly Republican.

Spratt, seeking his 13th term representing the 5th District, stands to become chairman of the House Budget Committee, and one seat from chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, should Democrats gain control of the chamber as many political pundits predict.

Democrats need to gain 15 seats for that to happen. Spratt thinks Democrats could pick up twice that amount.

Republicans still dominate South Carolina’s congressional seats.

Republican Joe Wilson easily won his third full term, defeating Democrat Michael Ellisor in the 2nd District. With 27 percent of precincts reporting, he had 69 percent of the vote.

Republican Gresham Barrett also won his third term in the 3rd District, winning 65 of the vote against Democrat Lee Ballenger with 31 percent of precincts reporting.

Three-term Republican incumbent Henry Brown also defeated Democrat Randy Maatta in the coastal 1st District.

Bob Inglis, who is seeking his second term since voters returned him to Congress in 2004, was running against Democrat William Griffith in the 4th District.

Norman, a Rock Hill developer who spent much of his campaign warning against that Democratic turnover, portrayed Spratt as a career politician and Washington liberal who’s part of an “extremist party.”

The national anti-Republican, anti-scandal sentiment doesn’t appear to have much sway on South Carolina voters. Still, it isn’t helping Norman, said Winthrop University political scientist Scott Huffmon.

Many 5th District residents “view Spratt as a moderate, someone who’s smart and capable and someone who has a good record of constituent service,” Huffmon said. “Norman needed everything going his way, and he had a lot ... but all the dominoes didn’t fall Norman’s way because of national issues.”

Norman, who made illegal immigration a central part of his campaign, also received a setback when it was reported illegals worked on land Norman’s company owns. Norman’s response was that he doesn’t get involved in who subcontractors hire, and the discovery proved the federal government isn’t doing its job.

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