Just days before the primary runoff election, Republican gubernatorial candidates John Warren and Gov. Henry McMaster battled it out in their final debate on Wednesday.

President Donald Trump was a strong presence in the debate, both in candidate responses and audience reactions.  Warren pointed out the irony of McMaster’s traditional political career compared to the outsider movement embodied by Trump—who endorses McMaster, despite Warren’s outsider status. During the debate, McMaster repeatedly mentioned the benefit of having a political veteran in office.

The two remaining Republican gubernatorial candidates faced off Wednesday, June 21 at the Newberry Opera House for a debate co-sponsored by SCETV and the Post and Courier.

The South Carolina primary elections are over, and there will be a runoff election for some candidates on June 26. Here’s what you need to know.

The tale goes something like this: a young man gets a flat tire late one night in 1988 while driving near Scape Ore Swamp, and gets out of his car to change it. Then, from the shadows emerges a creature that’s green, wet, seven feet tall, with three fingers, red eyes and scales. As the young man scrambles to drive away, the creature viciously attacks his car. That’s the story 17-year-old Christopher Davis reported to the Lee County Sheriff’s Department in 1988.

Republican gubernatorial candidate John Warren has announced that he has received the endorsement of former competitors Catherine Templeton and Lt. Governor Kevin Bryant, a decision made only two days after the primaries. Associated Press reporter Meg Kinnard first broke this story on Twitter Thursday afternoon. 

On this week's edition of South Carolina Lede, host Gavin Jackson is joined by Meg Kinnard, South Carolina reporter for The Associated Press, and Jamie Lovegrove, statehouse reporter for The Post and Courier, to recap the results of the South Carolina Republican and Democratic primary elections.

You can find the full election results here.

The following is a list of incumbents from the South Carolina House of Representatives that competed in the June 12 primary, and their results. Below that are the final results from all primary day races.

Incumbent wins

Davey Hiott, R-Pickens

Brian White, R-Anderson

Jay West, R-Belton

Jonathon Hill, R-Townville

Craig Gagnon, R-Abbeville

Samuel Rivers Jr., R-Goose Creek

Mike Burns, R-Taylors

Tommy Stringer, R-Greer

Jason Elliott, R-Greenville

Leola Robinson Simpson, D-Greenville

Below is a transcript of the second Republican gubernatorial debate with Lt. Gov. Kevin Bryant, Gov. Henry McMaster, former Lt. Gov. Yancey McGill, Catherine Templeton and John Warren. The debate was hosted at the University of South Carolina’s Drayton Hall on June 5, 2018. Charles Bierbauer moderated the debate and questioned the candidates along with South Carolina Public Radio’s Victoria Hansen and The Post and Courier’s Seanna Adcox.

Opening Statements

Below is a transcript of the second Democratic gubernatorial debate with candidates Marguerite Willis, Rep. James Smith (D-Columbia) and Phil Noble at the University of South Carolina’s Drayton Hall on June 4, 2018. Charles Bierbauer moderated the debate and questioned the candidates along with Victoria Hansen of South Carolina Public Radio and Andy Shain of The Post and Courier.

Opening Statements:

The South Carolina primary is rapidly approaching and for some, the process can be confusing and intimidating. Below is a condensed Election Day “how-to” that will get you up to speed with everything you need to know before June 12.