PICKENS TOWN HALL SCHEDULED
Gubernatorial candidate Catherine Templeton will travel to the South Carolina Upstate early next month – addressing a gathering of the Pickens County GOP.
According to an invitation sent by party chairman Rick Tate, Templeton is “one (of) the rising stars in the South Carolina Republican party and a serious contender in the 2018 gubernatorial race.”
That’s true …
Templeton has dramatically exceeded expectations in her early fundraising efforts – putting incumbent governor Henry McMaster on the defensive and turning what was supposed to be a coronation into a competitive race.
The 46-year-old labor lawyer currently resides in Charleston, S.C. but has roots all across the state. During her most recent fundraising quarter, nearly half of her campaign contributions came from the Upstate.
How will she play in rural Pickens County? We shall see … some of the comments posted on social media in response to Tate’s announcement were fairly critical.
“Do men support women because their (sic) pretty?” one woman wrote.
Um … yes. Often they do. In fact we’ve been guilty of that previously with regards to Templeton.
Another commenter didn’t seem to like Templeton’s proximity to the state’s last governor, Nikki Haley.
“We don’t need another Nikki Haley in any part of our government period!!!” they wrote.
We won’t argue that point … although it remains to be seen whether Templeton bears any resemblance to Haley ideologically. Last time we checked, though, Haley’s former gubernatorial campaign manager and chief of staff was working for McMaster.
Templeton was appointed by Haley to run the S.C. Department of Labor Licensing and Regulation (SCLLR) in 2011. Two years later, Haley’s appointees to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) tapped Templeton to run that agency.
For those of you interested in attending, the Pickens GOP town hall will be held Tuesday August 1 in the private dining room at Mutt’s BBQ in Easley, S.C. (1020 Powdersville Road). Dining room reservation begins at 6:00 p.m. EDT with the town hall scheduled to begin thirty minutes thereafter.
Templeton is the first announced gubernatorial candidate to address the Pickens GOP this election cycle, although prospective candidate Tom Davis addressed the group last month.
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