Richard Cash, a Powdersville businessman, defeated former Pendleton mayor Carol Burdette in the Republican runoff primary for Lt. Governor Kevin Bryant’s vacated seat in the S.C. Senate.
Cash’s victory was mildly surprising for a couple of reasons. Burdette had received the most votes in the crowded primary field, making Cash’s victory by more than eight percentage points a significant upset. Cash gathered 4865 votes to Burdette’s 4077 votes.
Also, the turnout, while still low, was higher than it was in the first primary earlier this month. Tuesday’s runoff saw 12.35% of the Districts 72,700 registered voters go to the polls.
The seat was vacated by incumbent Kevin Bryant following Governor Nikki Haley’s appointment as President Donald Trump’s ambassador to the U.N., leading to a series of political maneuvers that put Henry McMaster in the Governor’s Office, and Bryant as the Lt. Governor.
Since no Democrats are seeking the office, the winner of the runoff is almost certain to win the special election on May 30, and finish Bryant’s term, which runs until 2020.
