Nikki Haley and Tim Scott win SC primary runoffs (Updated)

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With just 31 percent of the precincts reporting, the Associated Press declared Nikki Haley the winner in South Carolina's GOP primary runoff election for governor. Haley's lead over Gresham Barrett was such a commanding one that the AP declared her victory only about an hour and a half after the polls closed at 7 PM Eastern Time Tuesday:

Nikki Haley became South Carolina's first Republican woman nominated for governor Tuesday.

Her win came as she rode the public backlash against the state's notoriously rough-and-tumble politics and with the backing of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and popular former South Carolina first lady Jenny Sanford. In her three House terms, she has been known as a close ally of Gov. Mark Sanford and a boat-rocker who sparred with leadership.

It was a winning mix in a year where tea party activists and GOP conservatives are anxious to reshape the Republican Party. Now she'll face Democratic state Sen. Vincent Sheheen to succeed term-limited Gov. Mark Sanford.

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Tuesday night, preliminary results showed Haley leading with 63 percent of the votes to 37 percent for U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett.

Tim Scott won the GOP primary runoff contest in South Carolina's 1stCongressional District:

Scott hopes to become South Carolina's first black GOP congressman in more than a century. He beat Paul Thurmond, the son of the late U.S. Sen. and former segregationist Strom Thurmond in the runoff after securing the backing of several Republican leaders in Washington. With 83 percent of precincts counted, he led with 69 percent of the vote to 31 percent for Thurmond.

Like Haley, Scott was also endorsed by Sarah Palin.

Update: Gov Palin congratulates the winners via Twitter:

"Congratulations to Nikki Haley and Tim Scott! On to November!"

- JP