Colombia: Sherry BiggsNurse practitioner and Air National Guard officer, won the Republican nomination for US House in 2014. South Carolinacontested election in the 3rd District on Tuesday, defeating an opponent who called himself a former president Donald TrumpPastor of.
Biggs will be the heavy favorite in November in South Carolina’s most Republican district, dominated by the Republican Party.She was supported by Republican Governor Henry McMaster, of whom she and her husband have been longtime friends and financial supporters.
Biggs defeated Mark Burns, a black pastor who has been with Trump for nearly a decade and has twice run for Congress but lost.
This was Biggs’ first attempt at political office, and if she wins in November, she would be the second Republican woman sent to Congress from South Carolina. U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace still serves the 1st District.
The seat has become vacant after Republican Rep. Jeff Duncan decided not to run for re-election after seven terms. Duncan’s wife of 35 years has filed for divorce in 2023, accusing him of having multiple affairs.
Biggs will face Democratic candidate Byron Best, a Sherwin-Williams paint store manager from Greenwood, and Michael Bedenbaugh of the Alliance Party in November.
Located in the northwestern corner of the state, this district has several small population centres.
Though longtime friends Trump and McMaster were at odds with each other, there was no apparent animosity between supporters. McMaster campaigned personally for Biggs, while Trump did not travel to South Carolina for Burns.
McMaster and Trump have a long-standing relationship. McMaster was the first statewide elected official in the country to endorse Trump in early 2016. Trump said that when he became president, he asked then-South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley to become U.N. ambassador so McMaster could move from lieutenant governor to the state’s top job.
Biggs and Burns had ideas that were similar and popular with Republicans, such as ending nearly all abortions, closing the border, and fighting inflation, as well as a total disdain for the ideas of Democrats.
Burns won the June 11 primary with 33% of the vote, but Biggs was just a few points behind him.
With a similar agenda, the two-week race to the runoff was more about style. Burns called Biggs a “swamp creature” who would not fight the establishment
Biggs, who is a lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard, said Burns misunderstood his academic and military background and voted for former Democratic President Barack ObamaBiggs has promoted photos of herself with Trump and said she is a candidate who can bring people together.
She said Tuesday evening that she would help fix the country’s mental, financial and spiritual problems and promised to defend conservative values.
“I’m here ready to not only win this seat in November, but to help President Trump win again.” white HouseBiggs said in a statement on social media.
Both candidates have invested heavily of their own money. Biggs borrowed nearly $350,000 for his campaign while raising an additional $182,000 from individual donors.
Burns has loaned $500,000 for his 2024 campaign and raised a little more than $16,000 from individuals. He still owes a $100,000 loan from an unsuccessful 2022 campaign in the neighboring 4th District. And unlike Biggs, Burns has not filed a required ethics disclosure form detailing his personal finances, which would give a glimpse into his personal worth and ability to pay back the loan.
Voters in Lexington County, just west of Columbia, rejected the last of three Republican “sister senators” who had helped defeat South Carolina’s near-total ban on abortion.
Attorney Carlisle Kennedy defeated State Senator Katrina Shelley in a runoff, ending her 12-year career in the Senate. Kennedy faces no opposition in the November general election.
Kennedy finished second in the June 11 primary with 36% of the vote, while Shealy received 40%, but was successful in rallying votes from those who did not want to send Shealy back to the state House.
Shelley, along with fellow Republican Sens. Sandy Sen. and Penryn Gustafson, were honored with the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for those who risk their careers to serve the greater good after joining with Democratic lawmakers on an abortion measure last year. The General Assembly ultimately passed a measure that would ban most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, before most people know they are pregnant.
The sister senators said a pregnant woman should not lose control over her body as soon as the egg is fertilized.
Senn lost the primary by 33 votes, while Gustafson received just 18%. They were both in Lexington County on Tuesday campaigning for Shelley.
With the exception of the Democratic senator who was drawn out of her district due to redistricting, the only women in the 46-seat South Carolina Senate who lost their re-election bids are women.
On Tuesday night, Shelley told reporters she doesn’t think her political career is over. She said she plans to spend the next four years working against key supporters of a total abortion ban in the state House and Senate, who she believes have unfairly attacked her.
“I’m pursuing them with all my might,” said Shelley.
Biggs will be the heavy favorite in November in South Carolina’s most Republican district, dominated by the Republican Party.She was supported by Republican Governor Henry McMaster, of whom she and her husband have been longtime friends and financial supporters.
Biggs defeated Mark Burns, a black pastor who has been with Trump for nearly a decade and has twice run for Congress but lost.
This was Biggs’ first attempt at political office, and if she wins in November, she would be the second Republican woman sent to Congress from South Carolina. U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace still serves the 1st District.
The seat has become vacant after Republican Rep. Jeff Duncan decided not to run for re-election after seven terms. Duncan’s wife of 35 years has filed for divorce in 2023, accusing him of having multiple affairs.
Biggs will face Democratic candidate Byron Best, a Sherwin-Williams paint store manager from Greenwood, and Michael Bedenbaugh of the Alliance Party in November.
Located in the northwestern corner of the state, this district has several small population centres.
Though longtime friends Trump and McMaster were at odds with each other, there was no apparent animosity between supporters. McMaster campaigned personally for Biggs, while Trump did not travel to South Carolina for Burns.
McMaster and Trump have a long-standing relationship. McMaster was the first statewide elected official in the country to endorse Trump in early 2016. Trump said that when he became president, he asked then-South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley to become U.N. ambassador so McMaster could move from lieutenant governor to the state’s top job.
Biggs and Burns had ideas that were similar and popular with Republicans, such as ending nearly all abortions, closing the border, and fighting inflation, as well as a total disdain for the ideas of Democrats.
Burns won the June 11 primary with 33% of the vote, but Biggs was just a few points behind him.
With a similar agenda, the two-week race to the runoff was more about style. Burns called Biggs a “swamp creature” who would not fight the establishment
Biggs, who is a lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard, said Burns misunderstood his academic and military background and voted for former Democratic President Barack ObamaBiggs has promoted photos of herself with Trump and said she is a candidate who can bring people together.
She said Tuesday evening that she would help fix the country’s mental, financial and spiritual problems and promised to defend conservative values.
“I’m here ready to not only win this seat in November, but to help President Trump win again.” white HouseBiggs said in a statement on social media.
Both candidates have invested heavily of their own money. Biggs borrowed nearly $350,000 for his campaign while raising an additional $182,000 from individual donors.
Burns has loaned $500,000 for his 2024 campaign and raised a little more than $16,000 from individuals. He still owes a $100,000 loan from an unsuccessful 2022 campaign in the neighboring 4th District. And unlike Biggs, Burns has not filed a required ethics disclosure form detailing his personal finances, which would give a glimpse into his personal worth and ability to pay back the loan.
Voters in Lexington County, just west of Columbia, rejected the last of three Republican “sister senators” who had helped defeat South Carolina’s near-total ban on abortion.
Attorney Carlisle Kennedy defeated State Senator Katrina Shelley in a runoff, ending her 12-year career in the Senate. Kennedy faces no opposition in the November general election.
Kennedy finished second in the June 11 primary with 36% of the vote, while Shealy received 40%, but was successful in rallying votes from those who did not want to send Shealy back to the state House.
Shelley, along with fellow Republican Sens. Sandy Sen. and Penryn Gustafson, were honored with the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for those who risk their careers to serve the greater good after joining with Democratic lawmakers on an abortion measure last year. The General Assembly ultimately passed a measure that would ban most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, before most people know they are pregnant.
The sister senators said a pregnant woman should not lose control over her body as soon as the egg is fertilized.
Senn lost the primary by 33 votes, while Gustafson received just 18%. They were both in Lexington County on Tuesday campaigning for Shelley.
With the exception of the Democratic senator who was drawn out of her district due to redistricting, the only women in the 46-seat South Carolina Senate who lost their re-election bids are women.
On Tuesday night, Shelley told reporters she doesn’t think her political career is over. She said she plans to spend the next four years working against key supporters of a total abortion ban in the state House and Senate, who she believes have unfairly attacked her.
“I’m pursuing them with all my might,” said Shelley.
