FLORENCE, S.C. - Incumbent state Sen. Maggie Glover has filed lawsuits at the state and federal levels asking the courts to overturn the state Democratic Party's invalidation of the Democratic primary for the District 30 Senate race.

Glover on Tuesday filed a writ in the state Supreme Court, asking the court to overturn the decision to void the June 8 primary results.

The party's executive committee invalidated the election after hearing a protest from candidate Tim Norwood, who raised allegations of voter fraud.

On Wednesday, Glover filed in federal Court for a temporary restraining order and injunction to stop Gov. Mark Sanford and the state Democratic Party from invalidating the election results and setting a date for a new primary election.

The suit claims the Democratic Party should not have heard Norwood's protest because it was filed past the deadline. Glover also says she was not notified by the Democratic Party that the executive committee was going to hear Norwood's protest.

Norwood maintains that because the mandatory recount was not conducted until June 14, he had until noon the following Monday to file his protest.

Glover said she is asking the court to order a runoff between her and Kent Williams, who placed second in the June 8 primary based on the recount results.

"To me, a new election does not offer a solution," Glover said. "All a new election does is disenfranchise those who voted in the June 8 primary and help create more of the same voter apathy we've been working to get rid of."

Glover's lawsuit is the third filed in connection with the District 30 primary.

Earlier this week, Williams filed a similar suit with the Supreme Court, asking it to overturn the Democratic Party's decision on the basis that Norwood filed his protest two days past the deadline to do so.

Williams' petition also asks the court to order the Democratic Party primary runoff election to proceed.

The date of a new election would be set by the governor, but Sanford said he won't take action until the Supreme Court deals with the pending lawsuits.

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Information from: Morning News, http://www.morningnewsonline.com/