Races to be settled in Tuesday runoff

Voters will return to the polls Tuesday for a runoff that will determine winners in several races from the June 12 Republican primary election. Precincts will be open June 26 from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

While several races were settled, Laurens County District 1 as well as Republican nominees for governor and attorney general will be contested in the runoff.

Voters in the Fountain Inn area will chose between Susan K. Thackston and Kemp Younts for the District 1 seat on county council. Either Thackston, who received 29 percent of the vote in the primary, or Younts (40 percent) is expected to assume the seat currently occupied by Ted Nash.

Because there was no Democratic challenger, the winner of the District 1 runoff will be the presumptive winner in November’s general election. Voters who voted as Republicans or those who did not vote in the June 12 primary are eligible to vote.

In statewide Republican primary races, Gov. Henry McMaster easily won Laurens County with 43.4 percent of the vote but is locked in a runoff with GOP challenger John Warren (32.2 percent in Laurens County). Incumbent Attorney General Alan Wilson (48.9 percent in Laurens County) is facing Lexington attorney Todd Atwater (22.9 percent) in the runoff.

Democratic voters overwhelmingly supported James Smith as nominee for governor and Mary Geren to challenge District 3 Rep. Jeff Duncan in November.