NBC News and CNN called the match for Cunningham after 9 p.m. ET. Cunningham, who won a Republican seat in 2018 only to lose his re-election two years later, throughout his campaign emerged as the kind of realistic negotiator who had the chance to win the entire state in deep red south carolina. He faced four major challengers in his candidacy for Democratic nominee, although his main opponent was U.S. Sen. Mia McLeod, the first black woman to run for governor of South Carolina. Republican Myra Flores is reversing her seat in the House of Representatives in the Texas special election. Cunningham relied on his successful bid to win a seat in the Republican House in 2018 to claim he is the candidate with the best chance of overthrowing McMaster this year. McLeod, meanwhile, has touted its campaign as a new direction for the state’s Democratic Party, arguing that candidates like Cunningham have failed for years to make a lasting profit in South Carolina. Of course, Cunningham is still facing a tough battle in the November general election. McMaster remains hugely popular in South Carolina, and the state leans heavily toward Republicans. At the same time, Democrats at the national level are facing strong political winds. President Biden’s approval rating is deeply underwater, inflation is at its highest level in decades, and the ruling party – in this case the Democrats – tends to do poorly in the midterm elections.
