Incumbents Get A Free Ride
As Filing Period Ends With No Surprises
By Lee Bandy
SouthCarolina Insider
(4/2/08) Dullsville USA.
That’s South Carolina in 2008.
The filing for local, state, and federal offices closed at noon
Sunday. No big surprises. For the most part, it was the same old
crowd with its worn out ideas. Incumbents, for the most part, got
a free ride.
Young challengers, those with fresh ideas and who seek a new approach
to government, seem to have decided to sit out this election.
State GOP Chairman Katon Dawson said the presidential primaries
earlier this year may have affected the number of candidates who
filed to run. It is difficult to raise money, hire a staff or consultants
and begin courting voters when so much attention is focused on national
politics.
The filings Sunday were for all 170 State House districts, six
congressional seats, and one U.S. Senate seat.
The filing ended a spring filled with speculation about which incumbents
would be targeted for defeat by Republican Gov. Mark Sanford. His
rumored “hit list” singled out a number of legislators
for defeat who had worked to block his agenda. Apparently, he couldn’t
find enough support for it.
The highest profile contest will be the re-election of U.S. Sen.
Lindsey Graham, a Seneca Republican. He will be challenged by Lexington
orthodontist and Republican national committee member Buddy Witherspoon.
He’s the only Republican to officially file against Graham.
Graham was thought to be in deep trouble with Republicans because
of his “liberal” stance on immigration reform and friendship
with U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts.
Republicans promised to recruit a tough primary opponent to challenge
Graham. But they failed to do so.
Witherspoon, who has close ties to the Christian right, was the
best they could find..
Democrats also like Graham.
Former state Democratic Chairman Joe Erwin of Greenville once said
he would not recruit some one of his party to run against Graham.
“Graham is the best Democrat we’ve got up there,”
he said.
Polls show Graham winning in a cake walk.
In other races, Springdale U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson will face a primary
and general election challenge for the 2d District Congressional
seat he has held since 2001.
Lexington resident Phil Black and Democrats Blaine Lutz of Hilton
Head and Rob Miller of Beaufort all filed for the seat.
Wilson is the early favorite in this GOP-leaning district. Lexington
and Beaufort, the two largest counties in the district, usually
combine to give an easy victory to the Republican candidate.
The State House contests are exected to be the fiercest.
Sanford has denied recruiting candidates. And his spokesman, Joel
Sawyer, says the governor has infrequently gotten involved in primaries.
And Sawyer said those decisions would be made on a case-by-case
basis.
All six of South Carolina’s congressional members –
two Democrat s and four Republicans– are expected to win easily. |
