Cunningham wins Democratic governor’s primary in South Carolina

Former Rep. Joe Cunningham was projected to capture the Democratic nomination for South Carolina governor on Tuesday, setting him up for a head-to-head general election fight against Gov. Henry McMaster (R) in November.

NBC News and CNN both called the race for Cunningham after 9 p.m. ET.

Cunningham, who flipped a GOP-held House seat in 2018 only to lose reelection two years later, cast himself throughout his primary campaign as the kind of pragmatic deal-maker who stood a chance at winning statewide in deep-red South Carolina.

He faced four primary challengers in his bid for the Democratic gubernatorial nod, though his main rival was state Sen. Mia McLeod, the first Black female to run for South Carolina governor.

Cunningham leaned on his successful effort to win a Republican-held House seat in 2018 to argue that he’s the candidate with the best shot of ousting McMaster this year. McLeod, meanwhile, cast her campaign as a new direction for the state Democratic Party, arguing that candidates such as Cunningham have failed for years to make lasting gains in South Carolina.

Of course, Cunningham still faces an uphill battle in the November general election.

McMaster remains largely popular in South Carolina, and the state tilts heavily toward Republicans. At the same time, Democrats nationwide are facing strong political headwinds; President Biden’s approval rating is deep underwater, inflation is at its highest point in decades and the party in power — in this case the Democrats — tends to fare poorly in midterm elections.