Gov. Nikki Haley has ordered a special election to fill the congressional seat being vacated as Tim Scott becomes South Carolina's next senator.
/ FILE
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- Gov. Nikki Haley has ordered a special election to fill the congressional seat being vacated as Tim Scott becomes South Carolina's next senator.
Haley's spokesman Rob Godfrey says she signed the executive order Wednesday morning, setting sets the timeline for the special election.
Scott officially resigned from his 1st District seat in a letter Dec. 28, with an effective date of Jan. 2.
Haley appointed Scott Dec. 17 to replace resigning Sen. Jim DeMint. South Carolina's first black person in the U.S. Senate will face a special election in 2014 to fulfill the remaining two years of DeMint's term.
Haley's order means party primaries for Scott's former seat from the coastal district will be March 19. Any necessary runoffs would be April 2. The general election will be May 7.
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