SC3 Runoff: Sheri Biggs Defeats Trump-Backed Candidate

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It was a nail-biter, but by the time the final votes were tallied in Tuesday’s low-turnout GOP primary runoff, nurse and South Carolina Air National Guard lieutenant colonel Sheri Biggs had captured her party’s nomination for the staunchly conservative third congressional district. Biggs edged MAGA evangelical pastor Mark Burns by roughly 1,100 votes out of more than 55,000 cast.

With all ballots cast and counted, Biggs had 28,130 votes (50.99 percent) compared to Burns’ 27,043 (49.01 percent). Two weeks ago, Burns topped Biggs by more than 3,500 votes in a race that drew more than 81,000 voters to the polls. He failed to capture a majority of votes, however, forcing him into a runoff with Biggs.

In the Palmetto State, if no candidate receives a majority of votes on the primary ballot the top two finishers advance to a head-to-head runoff election two weeks later. Runoffs are unique to partisan primaries, by the way. There is no runoff requirement in the general election in November.

In many ways, this race was a classic showdown between rival Republican factions. The South Carolina GOP establishment lined up solidly behind Biggs – with governor Henry McMaster, lieutenant governor Pamela Evette, attorney general Alan Wilson and a lineup of a half-dozen prominent Upstate sheriffs backing her candidacy.

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As for Burns, he had the biggest “name” endorsement of the 2024 cycle: Former president Donald Trump. State representative Stewart Jones, who finished in third place in the June 11 primary, also backed Burns.

During her victory statement to supporters Tuesday night, Biggs extended an olive branch to the MAGA wing of the Republican Party – and to certain observers watching in Washington, D.C. and New York.

“I want to state one thing for the national media covering this race, particularly the liberal national media who is going to try to write about president Trump’s endorsement in this race,” she said. “President Donald Trump won tonight. President Trump won because President Trump has an ally with Sheri Biggs. From day one, I have been a strong supporter of president Trump; and, in Congress, I will be a strong ally of president Trump to win the border war, to keep our nation safe, to drain the swamp, to protect tax dollars, and to ensure the promises made to veterans are kept. My commitment remains that I will do whatever I can to ensure president Donald Trump wins the White House in November and has the conservative support he needs in Congress.”

Burns said while the runoff didn’t turn out as he had hoped, he accepted it.

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“You know what, this is a democracy, and the people have spoken, and I know we don’t agree with the results, but you know, they spoke and Sheri Biggs won and that’s the end of it,” Burns said.

Biggs now moves on to the November 5, 2024 general election, but given the conservative lean of the district (Trump won the third with 69 percent of the vote four years ago) she is all but assured of emerging victorious in the fall.

The battle for this seat kicked off back in January when seventh-term U.S. congressman Jeff Duncan announced he would not seek reelection in the aftermath of a sex scandal involving a Washington, D.C. lobbyist. After being divorced by his wife, Duncan and the lobbyist are now engaged to be married.

Count on our media outlet to provide additional coverage of this week’s runoff elections in the days and weeks to come as we assess the fallout from the 2024 partisan primary cycle.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

J. Mark Powell is an award-winning former TV journalist, government communications veteran, and a political consultant. He is also an author and an avid Civil War enthusiast. Got a tip or a story idea for Mark? Email him at mark@fitsnews.com.

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