State Rep. Deon Tedder has won the Democratic nomination for an open South Carolina Senate seat by 11 votes, according to results certified by election officials.
A recount and a review Thursday of 10 disputed ballots cast in Tuesday’s runoff didn’t alter the margin between Tedder and Rep. Wendell Gillard out of the 4,175 votes cast, according to the South Carolina Election Commission.
Gillard didn’t immediately rule out challenging the results with the election commission; Tedder asked him to accept the results so he can start concentrating on keeping the seat in Democratic hands in November’s special election.
Sen. Marlon Kimpson resigned the seat after 10 years in office to take a job developing trade policy in President Joe Biden’s administration.
The district is heavily Democratic, running from the Charleston peninsula into North Charleston.
If elected Tedder, 33, would be the youngest member of the state Senate. Kimpson endorsed the attorney and two-term state House member along with several other prominent Charleston area Democrats.
Tedder also got the endorsement of U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, the most prominent Democrat in the state.
Gillard, 69, won the three-way primary two weeks ago with 47% of the vote. But South Carolina requires a majority to win the nomination. Tedder won 39% in the primary, while state Rep. JA Moore received 15%..
