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Sheri Biggs Wins Republican Nomination in SC-03 ANDERSON – Lieutenant Colonel Sheri Biggs has won the Republican nomination for South Carolina's Third Congressional District. With her victory in the runoff, Biggs becomes the first Republican woman to secure the party's nomination in the district; and, with a victory in November, Biggs would be only the second Republican woman to serve in Congress from South Carolina. In her victory speech, Biggs stressed her commitment to providing the district with servant leadership, a focus on delivering results, and an ally to President Trump. Biggs' prepared remarks are as follows: "Neighbors of South Carolina Third Congressional District, your voice has been heard. Your voice has been heard loud and clear. Your call for a true servant leader, a political outsider, a committed Christian conservative to represent our values in Congress – mission-focused on results has been answered. Your desire to help heal the nation’s mental, fiscal, and spiritual problems has been answered. I stand here ready to fight for our communities and deliver results. I stand here ready to help win the border war, protect tax dollars, drain the swamp, and defend our conservative values. I stand here ready to not only win this seat in November but also to help President Trump win back the White House in November. Tonight is not the end of the campaign… We continue to work to ensure victory in November. But before we continue tonight’s celebration, I must thank my incredible team. Thank you to my campaign team. Thank you to my consultants. Thank you to my campaign manager, Leighton Gray Smith. Leighton Gray, you always kept the wheels on the bus, and I cannot thank you enough for your tireless work … Thank you to our incredible grassroots team – Alex, Patrick, Levi, Daniel and Tweety, all of our volunteers, especially my fellow church members at Temple Baptist Church and our Veterans for Biggs coalition … Thank you to all my friends, volunteers, donors, and supporters ... Thank you to Governor McMaster, Lieutenant Governor Evette, Attorney General Wilson, Sheriff Jody Rowland; Sheriffs McBride, Watson, Crenshaw, Price, Stearns, and Foster for standing with me during the campaign. Thank you to my family. Thank you to my husband and greatest supporter, Bill… To my greatest gift from God, my son, Austin… And to the greatest daughter I could ever ask for, Brittany – thank you all so much for your unwavering love. Again, to our neighbors in the Third Congressional District, thank you for your trust and support. I will not let you down. Before I close, I want to state one thing for the national media covering this race, particularly the liberal national media who is going to try to write about President Trump’s endorsement in this race. President Donald Trump won tonight. President Trump won because President Trump has an ally with Sheri Biggs. From Day One, I have been a strong supporter of President Trump; and, in Congress, I will be a strong ally of President Trump to win the border war, to keep our nation safe, to drain the swamp, to protect tax dollars, and to ensure the promises made to veterans are kept. My commitment remains that I will do whatever I can to ensure President Donald Trump wins the White House in November and has the conservative support he needs in Congress. God Bless you. God Bless our great State of South Carolina. And, God Bless the United States of America." |
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Sheri Biggs is a member of the Air National Guard. Use of her military rank, job titles, and photographs in uniform does not imply endorsement by the Department of the Air Force or the Department of Defense.
Nurse practitioner backed by Gov. McMaster wins 3rd District GOP runoff
BY: ABRAHAM KENMORE, SC Daily Gazette - JUNE 25, 2024 9:15 PM
Nurse practitioner Sherri Biggs has defeated pastor Mark Burns in a contentious runoff for the Upstate 3rd Congressional District.
With 96% of votes counted, The Associated Press called the race about 9:15 p.m., when Biggs was leading with 51% of ballots cast.
In her victory speech, Biggs told voters she’s “ready to fight for our communities and deliver results.
“Your call for a true servant leader, a political outsider, a committed Christian conservative to represent our values in Congress — mission-focused on results has been answered,” she said in her prepared remarks. “Your desire to help heal the nation’s mental, fiscal, and spiritual problems has been answered.”
It was the only congressional contest where Gov. Henry McMaster — who endorsed Biggs — split from former President Donald Trump, who backed Burns.
But Biggs said Trump actually won the contest, since both she and Burns staunchly backed the former president.
“President Trump won because President Trump has an ally with Sheri Biggs. From day one, I have been a strong supporter of President Trump. And, in Congress, I will be a strong ally of President Trump,” she said in concluding her victory speech. “I will do whatever I can to ensure President Donald Trump wins the White House in November and has the conservative support he needs in Congress.”
Biggs will face Democrat Bryon Best and Mike Bedenbaugh of the Alliance Party in November in a bid to represent the conservative Upstate district that spans 11 counties and runs along the Georgia border from Edgefield County to the state’s northwest corner.
After U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan announced in January that he wouldn’t seek re-election after 14 years in Congress, the race to replace him became a seven-way contest between Republicans.
Burns, who’s made a national name for himself since 2016 as a staunch Trump supporter, led in the primary with 33% of the vote. Biggs picked up 29%. By state law, a runoff is required if no primary candidate gets at least one vote over 50%.
Burns is a televangelist with a TV network he founded and pastor of The Harvest Praise & Worship Center of Easley. Biggs is an Air National Guard Lieutenant with a doctorate of nursing and a bachelor’s degree in Christian ministries.
The two candidates clashed in a debate last week hosted by Fox Carolina.
Burns described himself as a “pit bull” and called Biggs a “swamp creature.” She shot back that he’s a “chihuahua.”
Biggs suggested Burns was a Democrat who had voted for Joe Biden and Barack Obama. Burns has acknowledged voting for Obama, saying nearly all Black voters did, but he denied voting for Biden.
The finances of both campaigns drew questions. Burns is primarily financing his run through $750,000 in loans from the Bank of Washington, Missouri, without a clear way to pay the loans back. Biggs raised about $220,000 and loaned her campaign a total of $345,000.
The governor and the former president continued their vocal support through the runoff.
Last Friday, McMaster campaigned in Anderson with Biggs at a meet-and-greet event.
On Saturday, Trump reiterated his endorsement of Burns in a post and a short video on his social media site.
“He has been with me right from the beginning, 2016, and even earlier than that,” Trump wrote in the post. “Mark wanted me to run long before it was fashionable!”
Abraham Kenmore is a reporter covering elections, health care and more. He joins the SC Daily Gazette from The Augusta Chronicle, where he reported on Georgia legislators, military and housing issues.
SC Daily Gazette is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
LAURENS COUNTY RESULTS here.
