Columbia, SC (WLTX) - Republican Benjamin Dunn will now take on Democrat Dick Harpootlian in November's special election for State Senate District 20, following Dunn's Tuesday night's win in a runoff.
Dunn defeated John Holler 57-43 percent in the GOP-only contest. The runoff was necessary because none of the four candidates running in the party's primary two weeks ago was able to get 50 percent of the vote.
Here's the numbers:
Benjamin Dunn - 1,748 - 57%
John Holler - 1,307 - 43%
Dunn is a real estate attorney and member of the Army National Guard. Holler is the president of Epworth Children's Home and is a minister and counselor.
Democrat Dick Harpootlian won his party's contest outright earlier this month. Harpootlian is a former state Democratic party chairman and local prosecutor, and currently works as a private attorney.
The special election will be on November 6, the same day as the general election.
District 20 covers a stretch of the center of the Midlands, from the Rosewood community in south Columbia through downtown and out into much Irmo.
That seat was formerly held by Republican John Courson, and the 73-year-old lawmaker had represented the area since 1984. But back in June, he pleaded guilty to a change of misconduct in office and resigned from office.
Previous Coverage: Sen. Courson Enters Guilty Plea, Resigns from Office
The seat has been vacant since he was suspended in March of 2017.