COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) -
Despite fewer candidates due to a Supreme Court ruling, Tuesday's primary provided plenty of surprises.
Former Columbia City Councilman and city mayoral candidate Kirkman Finlay easily won the GOP nomination for District 75, defeating attorney Jim Corbett.
Incumbent Sen. Ronnie Cromer also won his race in District 18 against Rich Bolen, former WIS anchor Kara Gormley Meador, and Alan Hunter.
In the Democratic race for District 20, Robert Rikard easily won the nomination from Norman Jackson. Rikard will go on to face Senate Pro-Tem John Courson in November.
Sen. Mike Rose has lost his bid for a fourth term in the state Senate. Sean Bennett defeated Rose in Tuesday's Republican primary.
In the race for the newly-created District 7 seat in Congress, former Georgia state representative Gloria Bromell Tinubu upset the establishment-chosen Preston Brittain. In a surprising twist, state Rep. Ted Vick received 7 percent of the vote despite dropping out of the race weeks ago due to a DUI charge.
On the GOP side, former Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer took the lead with 32 percent of the vote and Horry County Councilman Tom Rice took 27 percent of the vote. Bauer and Rice are now headed for a runoff in two weeks since neither received a simple majority of the vote.
In Lexington County, incumbent coroner Harry Harman defeated former Richland County coroner Frank Barron. That race was highlighted by Barron, who lobbed criticisms against Harman's age.
Lexington County treasurer Jim Eckstrom also won his race against Bill Banning.
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