Copyright Charleston Post and Courier
COLUMBIA — John Lastinger and Brian Duncan appear headed to a Republican Party primary runoff after they finished first and second in the multi-candidate race to finish the S.C. House of Representatives term previously held by disgraced lawmaker RJ May. With all precincts reporting in the District 88 race anchored in Lexington County, Lastinger had 40 percent of the vote while Duncan collected 38 percent, according to unofficial Oct. 21 returns. The remaining two GOP candidates, Lorelei Graye and Darren Rogers, finished far back, with 15 percent and 7 percent, respectively. If no candidate gets better than 50 percent of the vote in a state party primary, a runoff is called between the top two vote-getters. House District 88 came open after May resigned in August, months after being charged with 10 federal counts tied to distributing child pornography. May pleaded guilty to five counts and will be sentenced at U.S. District Court in Columbia in January where he faces a lengthy prison term. Duncan is a security company business owner and has two decades of military service in the S.C. Air National Guard. Lastinger works as a pastor. Duncan was endorsed by Attorney General Alan Wilson and his father, U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson. The winner will face the lone Democratic candidate, Joseph “Chuck” Hightower, in a special election to settle the seat in Lexington County, which encompasses more than 189,000 eligible voters. The runoff is Nov. 4. The eventual winner of the seat will finish out the remainder of May’s term though next fall.
