A pair of establishment “Republicans” are headed to a runoff election in South Carolina’s lieutenant governor’s race … although the precise matchup was uncertain the day after the votes were counted.
Former Attorney General and SCGOP chairman Henry McMaster led the field of four candidates with 43.7 percent of the vote – earning a spot in the “Republican” runoff election on June 24. His opponent? That remains to be seen.
The initial vote count showed Nikki Haley acolyte Pat McKinney – a wealthy Lowcountry developer – receiving 24.1 percent of the vote. That total would put him just ahead of Mike Campbell – son of legendary GOP governor Carroll Campbell, Jr. – who earned 23.7 percent of the vote.
Because McKinney and Campbell are separated by less than one percentage point, an automatic recount will be conducted by the S.C. Election Commission.
If the runoff winds up being one establishment “Mac” versus another, incumbent GOP governor Nikki Haley will find herself in an interesting predicament. On the one hand she actively recruited McKinney to run for the office and is grooming him to succeed her. Moreover her inside-the-Beltway political consultant – Jon Lerner – was McKinney’s top strategist.
However McMaster provided Haley with a critical endorsement in her successful 2010 runoff election against former S.C. Rep. Gresham Barrett and has been tremendously supportive of her through all of her administration’s many missteps.
Anyway … whoever emerges victorious will do battle in November against centrist Democrat Bakari Sellers – a four-term state lawmaker who has staked out some surprisingly conservative ground on tax and spending issues.
Should make for an interesting election come November …
24 comments
Yawn
Bakari Sellers will definitely be getting my vote in November for Lt Gov. This will be the last time we will ever be able to separately choose our Governor and Lt Governor from different parties, because the fucktards of SC’s electorate voted to take away that choice from us a couple of years ago. This is one good example why we should have held on to that option.
Why? So if something happens to the governor your state gets to move from a Republican governor to a Democrat who can re-organize his/her entire cabinet and agency heads? The Governor and Lt. Governor need to be from the same party and same ticket.
Why, to give the damn parties even MORE power over the process and us than they already have? The parties are what is ruining this country and state. I vote for the man (or woman), not the damn party.
hehe—It would be very interesting to see Sellar’s as Lt Gov. He could set up and run with the first black Gov in 2018…Rick Henry, WISTV sports!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I meant, Mayor Benjamin.
Benjamin as Governor… that is fucking scary!
Oh you guys. I know you kids are just funnin me and every one who cannot read. As to me being hired by Sellers. I’m shallow and have no goals, so count me out unless there is an open bar, then Ya HOO bring on the purple Jesus. See you at the Beach.
Corruption my Friend,
We agree again!!!
So you think Sellers is ready to lead this state if necessary? Will he hire his dad to help him?
While I certainly have not always agreed with everything Bakari Sellers said or did, he seems to be reasonably intelligent (that’s almost a super power, these days) and capable of rational thought. He’s not Gasbag McMcMaster and he’s not (far as I know) trying to establish himself as a birthright dynasty politician. I feel certain he could do a much better job than the current Governor is doing.
What’s the deal about his dad?
What’s the deal about his dad? Do you know who his dad is? Might as well be the son of Al Sharpton.
Haven’t been to this thread in a couple of days. Snickering brought me up to speed on it. He is not his dad and we are in somewhat different times, now.
Are you asking about Bakari’s father? If you are his name was Cleveland Sellers in the early 60’s and he started the civil rights movement in South Carolina. He was jailed, beaten severely. You probably are too young to remember the cover on LOOK Magazine, or seen the documentary by Tom Brokaw. The topping on the cake was another woman, weeping and holding the head of a student who had been shot by none other than the US military. Yeh, I’m still pissed off, any respect I might have had of Washington and the Hate Mongers lingers still. IT WAS A BOWLING ALLEY FOR GOD’S SAKE.
Oh, I had no idea that Cleveland Sellers was his father. Yes, I remember that name from back in the 60’s as being on the news quite a bit in connection with a lot of the turmoil of that day. Nonetheless, I don’t think Bakari would make us a bad Lt Governor.
We really need to rid ourselves of these career, birthright dynasty, politicians. I don’t recall Cleveland Sellers holding any major offices for long periods of time.
Gasbag McMaster and those establishment Republicans are getting to be annoying. Time for them to retire and fade away into the sunset.
Thank you so much. Last I heard Cleveland Sellers was a College professor. Again THANKS!!!!
gawd save us… “ah say , ah say boy…,” Massa McMaster said to the young man who was a fetchin’ his mint julep. “puh sum mo ment in diz won.”
Definitely Sellers for me. This state needs more Democrats to balance the idiocy of the Teapublicans.
Sellers will win
McMaster’s gotta explain lot of squirming to do. McMaster ducked and dug a hole and pulled the dirt over him so no one else will be saved.
“McMaster in a runoff”! Why can’t we just run off McMaster permanently!
He is part of the problem, establishment politician, who has lived off the taxpayer too long. Runs for every office he can and if he loses gets appointed to some position by another establishment professional politician!
Glad I’m not the only one who is getting sick of this eternal gassbag.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8TQZBHszI4 ..
Why not vote CC jr.?
McLovin’ it!
Not.
More like…
McNotGivingaShitAboutIt.