McMaster beats Warren for GOP nomination for Governor

After a long campaign, Governor Henry McMaster edged out a victory over political newcomer John Warren on Tuesday, June 26. Despite the primary election two weeks prior, where McMaster scored 42.3 percent of the vote to Warren’s 27.8 percent, Tuesday’s runoff was unexpectedly close.

 

According to the scvotes.org, the election results had Warren slightly under 50 percent of the vote (46.37 %) and McMaster won with 53.63% of the vote.

 

Both candidates fought hard. Warren traveled across the state on Monday, June 25, hosting meet-and-greets, including one on Daniel Island, to rally supporters. McMaster benefitted from a visit and support from President Trump.

 

Trump hosted a rally in Columbia, where he made jabs at late night talk show hosts, talked about the 2016 presidential election, and occasionally gave McMaster compliments.

 

Although his political views align with Trump’s, Warren ran a belligerent campaign against the Trump-endorsed candidate. He spent a significant part of his aggressive campaign talking about anti-corruption and competency, heavily implying that McMaster is neither. “They [conservative voters] are tired of the corruption, they are tired of the lack of accountability, they are tired of the incompetence, and they want change,” said Warren in his June 25 speech on Daniel Island. “We’ve got a lot of problems. And Governor McMaster— he wants to ignore all the problems and say ‘we just

keep winning and you don’t change the coach.’ And my answer is ‘we’re not winning’ and he’s not the coach. He’s the interim coach.”

 

In his concession speech, Warren stated that, during his time on the campaign trail, a right-wing movement had started in South Carolina. “Conservatives across this state have united and they want to take their government back from the special interest, the political insiders. And that message is worth repeating for years to come,” said Warren.

 

In McMaster’s excited victory speech, he saluted Warren’s military service and claimed that his relationship with Trump will make him a potent governor. “Our team, ladies and gentlemen, right now extends from the White House, to the State House, to your house, and that’s the most powerful team there is,” said McMaster.

 

McMaster will face Democrat James Smith in November’s general election.

 

In the other statewide GOP primary runoff, Alan Wilson defeated Todd Atwater for Attorney General.