Recount needed in U.S. Senate contest

COLUMBIA — A recount is set for Democrat challengers vying to take on Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham in November, the South Carolina Election Commission said Friday.

The commission certified the results of Tuesday's primary elections, setting in motion plans to begin recounts next week in three state and federal races and to hold a runoff June 24 for 11 federal and state offices.

The closest is the Democratic Party's Senate primary battle for the right to face Graham in the fall.

Friday's certified results show 1,049 of 147,287 votes cast separated vote leader Bob Conley, an engineer from North Myrtle Beach, and Michael Cone, a Mount Pleasant lawyer.

That contest is headed to a mandatory recount under state election law because the winning margin was less than 1 percent.

Recounts will be held Monday.

Cone has said he won't appeal the result of the recount.

With major swings in electronic voting rare, that means that Conley likely will advance to take on Graham, who's seeking his second term. Graham easily defeated GOP challenger Buddy Witherspoon Tues- day with 67 percent of the vote.

Graham drew a challenger largely for his stances on illegal immigration.

With Conley as his likely opponent in the fall, the issue will emerge because tougher immigration laws are central to his campaign.

The GOP has four state Senate and two House runoffs. Democrats have runoffs for one Senate seat and three House seats.

For the Charleston House District 111 Democratic primary, Wendell Gilliard, a sitting Charleston City Councilman, will face Clay Middleton.

In Berkeley County District 3, former County Councilman Bob Call and Billy Elrod are in a Republican runoff.

A recount is in the works in the Florence mayor's race, where challenger Stephen Wukela had 1,469 votes, one more than Mayor Frank Willis. Joe Werner, the state Democratic Party's executive director, expects the results to be challenged.