The South Carolina Republican primary for attorney general has advanced to a runoff between David Stumbo and Stephen Goldfinch. This development comes after the initial round of voting, where no candidate received a majority of the votes.

Background

The attorney general’s seat, currently held by Alan Wilson, is one of the state’s most significant constitutional offices. Wilson’s decision to run for governor instead of seeking a fifth term as attorney general led to a three-way contest for the Republican nomination.

David Pascoe, the S.C. first circuit solicitor, received the most attention during the primary but finished at the bottom with 107,185 votes. Pascoe’s campaign was hindered by his past support for Democratic candidates and a scathing post from President Donald Trump on Truth Social.

The Runoff Candidates

David Stumbo, a veteran prosecutor, finished second in the primary with 157,002 votes. Stumbo has been dogged by an ethics complaint claiming he received over $36,000 in reimbursements, which he countered saved taxpayers money on his vehicular expenses. He has received the support of Pascoe and has significant law enforcement backing.

Stephen Goldfinch, a state senator, finished first in the primary with 176,045 votes. Goldfinch has also faced controversy, including a federal charge of misbranding drugs, which was dismissed. He has received the support of Lowcountry multi-millionaire Rom Reddy and has been a strong advocate for judicial reform.

The winner of the runoff will face Democratic attorney Richard Hricik, who secured his party’s nomination without a primary. Hricik ran for elective office once before, unsuccessfully challenging liberal ‘Republican’ state senator Chip Campsen.

Original reporting: FITSNews — read the source article.