COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - The Latest on the South Carolina primary runoffs (all times local):
10:30 p.m.
A state senator in South Carolina has won the Republican nomination for U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy’s open seat.
William Timmons was nominated after Tuesday’s runoff. He had finished second to former state Sen. Lee Bright in the June 12 primary.
Timmons was the choice of establishment Republicans, picking up a number of endorsements and quiet support. He is similar to Gowdy, who spent eight years in the House and led a highly partisan panel investigating the 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya.
Timmons was a prosecutor and successful businessman who spent more than $900,000 of his own money on his campaign.
Timmons will take on Democratic businessman Brandon Brown in the general election in November.
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10:25 p.m.
Gov. Henry McMaster says he will use his relationship with President Donald Trump to bring prosperity to South Carolina.
McMaster told supporters gathered to celebrate his victory in Tuesday’s Republican gubernatorial runoff that he was glad to have a friend in the president and knew that the state would benefit from their relationship.
Trump endorsed McMaster in his pursuit of a first full term in office and campaigned for him just hours before polls opened for Tuesday’s voting.
Greenville businessman John Warren congratulated McMaster on his victory but told his own supporters he hoped they could continue their momentum in forging a new brand of conservatism in South Carolina.
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9:50 p.m.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has secured the Republican gubernatorial nomination for a first full term in office, after President Donald Trump publicly embraced him at a rally and followed up with a tweet encouraging voters.
McMaster defeated Greenville businessman John Warren in Tuesday’s primary runoff.
McMaster became governor when Nikki Haley left the office in 2017 to join the Trump administration as U.N. ambassador. As lieutenant governor, McMaster was the first statewide elected official in the country to back Trump’s candidacy.
The runoff pitting McMaster against Warren threatened to embarrass the White House if the governor fell short. Trump has a mixed track record when going all-in for candidates.
McMaster was unsuccessful in his previous bid for the governorship in 2010, losing a four-way GOP primary to Haley.
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South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has won the Republican nomination for a third term.
Wilson beat state Rep. Todd Atwater in unofficial results in Tuesday’s runoff.
Wilson picked up 48.6 percent of the vote in the June 12 primary just under the majority needed to avoid a runoff.
Atwater hammered Wilson on ethics, saying he tried to stop the prosecution of a political consultant he once used after giving the case to a different prosecutor.
Wilson says no attorney general has ever fought corruption as hard as he has. His campaign also says Atwater had no prosecutorial experience.
Wilson will face Democrat Constance Anastopoulo in November’s election.
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7 p.m.
Voting has now wrapped up in South Carolina’s runoff elections.
Polls closed at 7 p.m. Tuesday, and no major problems were reported. Election Commission spokesman Chris Whitmire says some polls lost power as a line of thunderstorms moved through the northern half of the state Tuesday afternoon, but battery backups in poll machines worked as they should.
South Carolina voters had runoff choices for the Republican gubernatorial and attorney general candidates, as well as the 4th U.S. District Congressional seat.
Democrats were picking candidates in the 2nd, 4th and 7th Congressional Districts.
There were also some runoffs for South Carolina House seats.
Most of the attention has been focused on the Republican gubernatorial contest, where Gov. Henry McMaster faces newcomer John Warren on Greenville. The winner faces Democrat James Smith of Columbia in the November election.
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9:50 a.m.
Election officials in South Carolina say there have been no significant problems as voting begins in runoffs around the state.
Election Commission spokesman Chris Whitmire said there were scattered power outages around the state. But Whitmire said most of those problems were resolved quickly Tuesday morning.
Whitmire said voting machines have battery backup and polling locations have paper ballots if the batteries die.
He said no one’s ability to vote has been hampered Tuesday.
Most of the focus is on the Republican runoff between Gov. Henry McMaster and Greenville businessman John Warren. McMaster failed to get a majority in the June 12 voting, but he hosted President Donald Trump at a rally in West Columbia on Monday evening.
Warren says his resume is closer to Trump’s than McMaster’s.
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7 a.m.
Voters in South Carolina are now making final candidate selections for governor, attorney general and some U.S. House seats.
South Carolina voters had runoff choices Tuesday for the Republican gubernatorial and attorney general candidates, as well as the 4th U.S. District Congressional seat.
Democrats were picking candidates in the 2nd, 4th and 7th Congressional Districts.
There are also some runoffs for South Carolina House seats.
Most of the attention is focused on the Republican gubernatorial contest, where Gov. Henry McMaster faces newcomer John Warren on Greenville. McMaster had President Donald Trump in West Columbia on Monday to boost his chances. Vice President Mike Pence campaigned with McMaster with Myrtle Beach on Saturday. The winner faces Democrat James Smith of Columbia in the November election.
Polls close at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
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11 p.m.
The two-week sprint from the South Carolina primaries to the runoffs is ending.
South Carolina voters will choose the Republican candidates for governor and attorney general in Tuesday’s runoff elections.
Gov. Henry McMaster is fighting for his political life against political newcomer and businessman John Warren. Attorney General Alan Wilson is also fighting to keep his party’s nomination against state Rep. Todd Atwater.
Voters also will choose the Republican and Democratic candidates for the 4th Congressional District, as well as the Democratic nominees in the 2nd and 7th Congressional Districts.
Any registered voter can cast a ballot with one catch - people who voted in a party primary on June 12 have to vote in that same party’s runoff.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday.
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