Daniel Prince
Runoff will be needed in Republican Superintendent of Education race
In the statewide and national races, Union County voters mirrored those of the state for the most part. Union County voters posted higher percentages than the statewide results for the incumbents for Republican governor, secretary of state, attorney general, and commissioner of agriculture. Union County voters responded yes to all three advisory questions, with slightly lower percentages than the statewide totals.
In the State Superintendent of Education race, Union County Republican voters chose Kathy Maness with 47.5% of the vote. Maness won the most votes statewide, with 31.2% of the vote. She will face Ellen Weaver in a primary runoff election in two weeks. Weaver received 23.1% of the statewide vote. Weaver finished fourth in the balloting in Union County. Those who voted in the Republican primary Tuesday or who did not vote at all can vote in the runoff in two weeks.
In the Democratic primary, Union County voters gave the most votes to Joe Cunningham for governor, with 37.5% of the vote, to 30.34% for Mia McLeod. Statewide, Cunningham won the primary with 55.6% of the vote. In the Superintendent of Education race, Union County voters selected Lisa Ellis with 59.2% of the vote, to 33.1% for Gary Burgess. Statewide, it looks like a runoff will be necessary, as Ellis has 49.8% of the vote to 31.2% for Burgess with 98% of counties reporting. The US Senate race is heading to a runoff, as well, with Catherine Fleming Bruce getting 34.4% of the vote to Krystle Matthews at 33.2%. Angela Geter will just miss out on a runoff with 32.4%. In Union County, Geter won 59.1% of the vote, with Bruce coming in second with 27.4%. In the US House District 5 race, Kevin Eckert narrowly won Union County, defeating Evangeline Hundley 596-578. District 5 voters selected Hundley as the Democratic nominee, however, 57.6% to 42.4%. Hundley will face Rep. Ralph Norman in November. The Democratic primary runoff will be in two weeks, on Tuesday, June 28. Those who voted in the Democratic primary or who did not vote at all can choose to vote in that runoff.