Republican gubernatorial candidate John Warren has announced that he has received the endorsement of former competitors Catherine Templeton and Lt. Governor Kevin Bryant, a decision made only two days after the primaries. Associated Press reporter Meg Kinnard first broke this story on Twitter Thursday afternoon.
“I am honored to have earned the endorsements of Lt. Governor Kevin Bryant and Catherine Templeton,” said Warren in a press release. After a formal press conference in Columbia announcing the news on Thursday, the trio visited Hilton Head, Aiken and Anderson to campaign. Templeton stated that despite their differences, after sitting down with Warren she was "proud to trust my money and my children with him as our next Governor.”
Gov. Henry McMaster led in the Republican polls on Tuesday, but with 42% of the vote, he will compete in a runoff election with Warren on June 26. Warren received 27% of the vote, followed by Templeton with 21% and Bryant with 7%.
This combined 28% could be enough to turn runoff results in favor of Warren, who in early April only had 1% of the vote, according to a poll by Target Insyght. Warren joined the race in February, four months before the primary. He is a self-proclaimed “political outsider” with no previous governmental experience.
Both Warren and McMaster have agreed to participate in another debate, this one just under a week before the runoff is scheduled. Tune into SCETV June 20 at 7:00 p.m. for live coverage of the debate at the Newberry Opera House.