Our View: Finish job in June 23 runoff elections in races for governor, 1st District

A record number of South Carolina voters — more than 800,000 — flocked to the polls June 9 in crowded Republican and Democratic primaries. And soon it will be time for Charleston-area voters to finish the job in three June 23 runoff elections where they can make a difference.

We urge voters to resist the pull of staying home on June 23. Rather, Republican runoff voters here can pick their nominees for governor and U.S. House for the 1st Congressional District. Democrats should return to pick a congressional candidate in the same House race.

Lacore for Democrats in 1st District

In the U.S. seat vacated by Republican U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, who lost in the GOP gubernatorial primary, we urge voters in the Democratic runoff to pick retired Admiral Nancy Lacore. She moved to the Lowcountry last year after being ousted by the Trump administration in the same kind of nasty partisan politics that caused a bunch of last-minute redistricting chaos.

As we wrote last month, Lacore is best for the job. And for any longtime Charlestonians who may try to brush off Lacore’s candidacy because she wasn’t born here, we say this: “Grow up.”

Spend just 60 seconds with Nancy Lacore and you’ll know that she’s the real deal — an impassioned leader who knows how Washington works and can use her impressive skills to push progress for the region. The Lowcountry needs her in its corner to offer the kind of passionate advocacy for all that it has been missing in recent years.

Wilson, Smith for Republicans

Charleston-area Republicans also would be well-served to vote for state Attorney General Alan Wilson and S.C. Rep. Mark Smith in their respective runoff elections for governor and
1st District.

Smith has long stood out among the 10 Republicans who ran for the seat thanks to his deeply held commitment to public service and noncombative advocacy for conservative ideals. While Smith may seem a little too cozy with MAGA madness at times, he also has significant leadership skills borne from experience in Rotary Club service and in the Statehouse. If he becomes a member of Congress, he won’t be an embarrassment to people across the district.

We also believe voters in the Republican runoff also should vote for the state’s attorney general because Wilson would carry on a tradition of working with legislators to make South Carolina better.

While we haven’t agreed with Wilson’s penchant for participating in just about every partisan national lawsuit filed in federal courts, we appreciate his commitment to the rule of law and the democratic process. Compared to other Republican candidates who were in the GOP gubernatorial primary, he was the only one who seemed stable, driven and motivated to keep South Carolina in the lane moving forward.

Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on June 23.