(AP) -- Republican Ken Ard has won the race to be South Carolina's new lieutenant governor.
Ard beat Democrat Ashley Cooper on Tuesday for the seat left open when Andre Bauer ran unsuccessfully for the Republican gubernatorial nomination.
Ard is a Florence County councilman and former co-owner of a truck body business founded by his father. He says he will use the office to forge a business-friendly climate.
Cooper is a Charleston attorney who campaigned on uniting business leaders, educators and politicians to bolster jobs. Cooper worked for four years as U.S. Sen. Ernest "Fritz" Hollings' attorney and legislative director.
(Copyright ©2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
