McDowell finished in first place in the Republican primary election with 26% of the vote, though he fell short of the 30% of the vote required to avoid a runoff election. Mark Walker finished in second place, with 24%. Though Walker initially indicated that he wanted a runoff election,[7] he opted to join the Donald Trump 2024 presidential campaign rather than seek a runoff, making McDowell the Republican nominee.[8] He won the November election.[9]
