How will the exclusion of five other contenders reshape the voter landscape in this rapid-fire special election?

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The five-candidate debate is likely to narrow voter attention even further in an already compressed race, giving the invited contenders a major visibility advantage just as early voting opens on Aug. 5 and the primary arrives Aug. 11. In practical terms, exclusion deprives Duke Buckner, Danny Ford II, Mark McBride, Glenda Gail Parker and Samuel Shepherd of the state’s broadest shared platform in the final stretch. The debate will air across Gray Media stations and digital outlets statewide and in nearby markets, so voters who are only now tuning in will mostly hear from Ralph Norman, Darline Graham, Russell Fry, Mark Lynch and Mark Sanford. In a short special election, that kind of exposure can shape late-breaking impressions more than field organizing or smaller events. The party argues the tradeoff is depth over breadth. With only one hour and a likely runoff, Chairman Drew McKissick said limiting the stage allows more substantive exchanges. That may help undecided voters compare the leading candidates more clearly, especially in an open-primary system where eligible nonprimary voters and June Republican-primary voters can still participate. The downside is that excluded candidates may struggle to break through even if they appeal to niche blocs or anti-establishment voters. Their supporters could either stay loyal, scatter to ideologically similar better-known candidates, or wait for a runoff if their preferred lane survives. That dynamic generally benefits contenders who…

Five SCGOP Senate Candidates Debate Aug. 3 in Columbia as Early Voting Starts 2 Days Later

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Five SCGOP Senate Candidates Debate Aug. 3 in Columbia as Early Voting Starts 2 Days Later

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