McMaster wins Republican runoff for Lt. Gov.

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COLUMBIA (AP) - Former Attorney General Henry McMaster is the Republican nominee on the November ballot for the state's lieutenant governor position. Early returns Tuesday showed McMaster trouncing Mike Campbell by a two-to-one margin. With 43 precincts showing complete results about 10:24 p.m. Tuesday, McMaster had about 63.58 percent of the vote to Campbell's 36.42. McMaster had a strong lead in the four-way GOP primary two weeks ago, taking 44 percent of the vote. But he needed more than 50 percent to avoid a runoff. Campbell, son of the late Gov. Carroll Campbell, actually finished third in that contest. But the 45-year-old small businessman advanced to the runoff when second-place finisher Pat McKinney, who received about 1,250 more votes, bowed out ahead of the expected recount. It was Campbell's second loss for the state's No. 2 spot in a runoff. He lost against then-Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer in 2006 after placing first in the three-way primary. McMaster will face 29-year-old Democratic state Rep. Bakari Sellers in November. - Seanna Adcox