A day after he landed the endorsements of two former rivals in the South Carolina governor’s race, Upstate businessman John Warren announced a wave of additional support in his vote-rich “Republican” backyard.
The top six vote-getters in a contentious GOP primary for the fourth congressional district – Lee Bright, William Timmons, Dan Hamilton, Josh Kimbrell, James Epley and Stephen Brown – all endorsed Warren’s campaign on Friday.
Talk about a unified front …
Also endorsing Warren? Greenville, S.C. mayor Knox White, local tea party leader Pressley Stutts, Spartanburg County clerk of court Hope Blackley and state representatives Josh Putnam and Josiah Manguson.
“Other endorsements are coming,” a source close to the Warren campaign told us.
Impressive …
Potentially even bigger than all of these endorsements, though? A public acknowledgement by Hamilton – the third-place finisher in this week’s fourth district race – that he had been contacted by the campaign of incumbent “Republican” governor Henry McMaster in connection with the yet-to-be-certified results of the fourth district race.
As this news site exclusively reported yesterday, aides working on McMaster’s behalf reportedly reached out to Hamilton and offered to fund a legal challenge of the outcome of the election.
Because Hamilton and Timmons finished within a percentage point of each other on Tuesday, a mandatory recount of fourth district ballots is required. That recount is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. EDT Friday. Were Hamilton to protest the election following this recount, he could conceivably delay the date of the “Republican” runoff.
Such a delay could swing the governor’s race, as Warren enjoyed the support of more than 46 percent of voters in Greenville County.
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