| 100% | STROM | 5 | ___ Thurmond, former US senator who represented South Carolina |
| 57% | STROM | 5 | ___ Thurmond, former US senator who served for 48 years |
| 45% | STROM | 5 | Longtime South Carolina Senator ___ Thurmond |
| 39% | DOLE | 4 | Former Senator Bob or Elizabeth, each of whom once ran for US president |
| 39% | BARACKOBAMA | 11 | Former U.S. President who served as State Senator and U.S. Senator of 48-Across (2 wds.) |
| 38% | STROM | 5 | Thurmond who was a US senator for 48 years |
| 37% | MCCARTHY | 8 | Anti-communist former US senator Joseph __ |
| 37% | STROM | 5 | Former US politician ___ Thurmond |
| 37% | TIM | 3 | South Carolina senator Scott |
| 37% | TIM | 3 | South Carolina senator ___ Scott |
| 36% | GRAHAM | 6 | South Carolina's senior senator |
| 36% | ELIZABETHDOLE | 13 | Former North Carolina senator who ran for the 2000 Republican presidential nomination: 2 wds. |
| 36% | EVAN | 4 | Former U.S. senator Bayh |
| 35% | WATERS | 6 | Maxine who represents South Los Angeles in Congress |
| 35% | ELIZABETHDOLE | 13 | Former North Carolina senator who changed her party affiliation from Democrat to Republican: 2 wds. |
| 35% | STEVESPURRIER | 13 | Former NFL coach who coached the University of South Carolina football team from 2005 to 2015 (2 wds.) |
| 35% | JOHNEDWARDS | 11 | Former North Carolina senator who was indicted for illegally covering up an extramarital affair: 2 wds. |
| 35% | BUSH | 4 | Former US president who died last November |
| 35% | SUMTER | 6 | Early South Carolina senator Thomas |
| 35% | GRAHAM | 6 | Senator Lindsey from South Carolina |
| 34% | OBAMA | 5 | Former US president who was born in 1961 |
| 34% | COLUMBIA | 8 | State capital of South Carolina, US |
| 34% | STROM | 5 | Former SC senator, Thurmond |
| 34% | RENO | 4 | Former US Attorney General Janet who died in November |
| 33% | DOLE | 4 | Former North Carolina senator Elizabeth |
| 33% | HAGAN | 5 | Former North Carolina senator Kay ___ |
| 33% | NIKKI | 5 | Former South Carolina governor Haley |
| 33% | HALEY | 5 | Former South Carolina governor Nikki ___ |
| 33% | STROM | 5 | Thurmond of South Carolina |
| 32% | ORRINHATCH | 10 | Former Utah senator who had a cameo in "Traffic": 2 wds. |