Republican Senator Resigns After Being Diagnosed With Alzheimers

You never want to hear this.

Republican State Senator Roger Nutt of South Carolina has announced he will be resigning from office.

Nutt’s resignation comes after he received devastating news that he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

🚨Sad News: South Carolina Republican State Senator Roger Nutt, 59, has announced that he is resigning from his seat after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Nutt was elected in 2024 pic.twitter.com/8bnaKYqJ6b

— The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) August 14, 2025

SC Daily Gazette provided more details on Nutt’s diagnosis:

State Sen. Roger Nutt resigned his Upstate seat Monday after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, the Moore Republican said in a news release.

Rep. Bobby Cox, a Greer Republican, has announced he will run for Nutt’s seat representing parts of Spartanburg and Greenville counties. To do so, Cox also resigned Monday from his House seat.

Nutt, a 59-year-old father of three, spent a decade on the Spartanburg County Council before winning a seat in the House in the 2020 election. He was elected to the Senate last November after emerging as the victor of a contentious, four-way GOP primary for an open seat.

Rep. Roger Nutt, R-Moore. (Provided by Roger Nutt)
Nutt had been receiving medical treatment for what he believed were symptoms of long COVID, in which symptoms of the virus linger after the infection itself has ended. Doctors instead determined that Nutt had neurodegenerative disorder Alzheimer’s disease, according to a news release.

“While we are saddened by this news, we will face this trial with faith in the grace of God that has sustained our lives, our marriage and my career in public service for nearly 15 years,” Nutt said in a statement.

Following the resignation, the Senate set the dates of an election to fill Nutt’s seat, as per the timing rules in state law: Filing will open Aug. 29. Party primaries (if needed) will be Oct. 21. The special election will be Dec. 23.

“I was deeply saddened to learn of Senator Nutt’s resignation and the circumstances that led to his decision,” Senate President Thomas Alexander said in a statement with the election schedule. “In the time I had the privilege to serve alongside him, I was struck by his knowledge, tireless work ethic, and unwavering commitment to his constituents.”

When it rains, it pours. South Carolina State Senator Roger Nutt is resigning after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

House Republican Bobby Cox tells me he will be running in a special election to fill the seat. I believe former Sen. Lee Bright also lives in that district. pic.twitter.com/hXOOI5ec7O

— Nick Reynolds (@IAmNickReynolds) August 11, 2025

Greenville News reported a special election will take place to fill Nutt’s seat:

In a statement, House District 21 Rep. Bobby Cox, a Republican who represents parts of Greenville County, called Nutt “a dedicated public servant who has served with integrity and tireless commitment.”

Cox also said he will run in a special primary to fill Nutt’s Senate seat and will therefore resign from the South Carolina House of Representatives.

“After prayerful consideration, and with Roger’s encouragement, I have decided to run in the special primary to fill his seat in the State Senate,” Cox said in a statement. “In doing so, I will also be resigning my position in the State House to allow both elections to occur at the same time.”

South Carolina Senate President Thomas Alexander issued a writ of elections regarding Nutt’s resignation. The filing period for the Senate District 12 election will be open from August 29 through September 6. Primary elections will happen on October 21 and the full election will be on December 23.