With U.S. Representative Henry Brown (RINO- SC 1) announcing that he will not seek reelection to the U.S. House in 2010, an already wide open race for the South Carolina First Congressional District is now even “wide opener.” Or “wider open.”
Hey … that’s just how people talk here in South Cackilacky.
Obviously tea party activist and military mom Katherine Jenerette is running for the Republican nomination – as is former Columbia lobbyist Carroll A. “Tump Tump” Campbell. Those two candidates have been campaigning for weeks.
Who else might jump in? We’re hearing literally dozens of names … and that’s just on the GOP side.
Remember, the S.C. First Congressional District is the most moderate of the Palmetto State’s four GOP districts. It stretches along the state’s coast from Charleston to Myrtle Beach, with two major population centers at its endpoints.
Here are a few thumbnail sketches of the prominent names we’ve heard mentioned …
Andre Bauer – Lt. Governor (Columbia)
It wouldn’t be a competitive Congressional race without somebody throwing Andre Bauer’s name into the mix. Previously rumored to be a candidate for the First, Third and Fourth Congressional districts (presumably because he’s got property in all of them), signs point to Bauer staying in the governor’s race for now. Still, he’d be an “insta-front-runner” if he chose to jump into this race.
Chip Campsen – State Senator (Charleston)
Chip has the personality of a rock (and the intelligence of a box of rocks), but he owns a strong, fiscally conservative voting record. Two problems – his over-the-top social conservatism won’t play well in this coastal district (certainly not in a general election) and his close proximity to Gov. Mark Sanford is said to include a “Patriot’s Point” problem. Not to mention a “Brokeback” problem.
Alan Clemmons – State Representative (Myrtle Beach)
This is the only district in South Carolina that a bald GOP Mormon could possibly hope to win, but we’re not sure Clemmons is the right bald GOP Mormon for the job. After all, Sic Willie might move to the coast and become a Latter Day Saint. And a Republican. Seriously, though, Clemmons candidacy is a joke.
Tracy Edge – State Representative (North Myrtle Beach)
Easily the most intelligent of the names we’ve been dropped, Edge is no doubt smart enough to recognize the uphill fight he’d face from the blue bloods South of Broad were he to throw his hat in the ring. Plus, he’d be giving up a lot of juice in Columbia to run. Still, his entry is a possibility.
Mark Fava – Attorney (Charleston)
Fava announced he was pulling out of the race over the weekend but we’ve been reliably informed that he is reconsidering his options in light of Brown’s retirement. He has previously been “loved up upon” by the Club for Growth crowd, which next to SCRG is the top conservative group in the state.
Tommy Hartnett – Former U.S. Representative (Charleston)
We didn’t believe this one at first, but former Rep. Tommy Hartnett – who has been out of politics for decades – is seriously considering running for the seat he once held in the early 1980s. Sheesh. As if we don’t have enough current RINO boobs to worry about …
Larry Grooms – State Senate (Berkeley)
Grooms’ gubernatorial campaign is going nowhere … no wonder he’s looking at another race.
Chip Limehouse – State Representative (Charleston)
The good news is that Chip Limehouse, if elected, will likely eat Washington, D.C. faster than you can say spare ribs, thus solving the vast majority of America’s problems. The bad news? His daddy ran for this seat and couldn’t win in 2000, and Limehouse has another generation’s worth of aristocratic Charleston inbreeding working against him. Still, Limehouse has (old) Charleston money … and his family will spend gobs of it to get him elected.
Jimmy Merrill – State Representative (Daniel Island)
The most likely name on this list to actually take the plunge, Merrill is on a major league downward spiral personally and professionally since giving up the House Majority Leader’s role. He’s also probably pretty bored. In case you’re unfamiliar with the ABC’s of politics in the Palmetto State, here’s a quick primer: Alcohol + Boredom = Campaign!
Mark Sanford – Governor (Columbia)
No mooching off of his wife anymore means that the “Luv Gov” has to actually work for a living. He’s clearly too damaged to win this race, but his financial situation may compel him to make a go of it regardless …
Jenny Sanford – S.C. First Lady (Sullivans Island)
The whole “I’m focusing on being a mother right now” shtick would certainly lose some (all) of its luster, but Jenny Sanford would be the most formidable candidate on this list should she choose to run. Despite her popularity and legendary political acumen, though, she’s shown absolutely no interest whatsoever in running for public office herself.
Tim Scott – State Representative (North Charleston)
Tim has already announced his candidacy for Lieutenant Governor and we don’t see him bailing on it … or do we? He is focusing on federal issues like the Tenth Amendment in his statewide bid. Hmmm …
Paul Thurmond – County Councilman (Charleston)
The son of legendary (and not always in a good way) U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond, Paul would join “Tump Tump” Campbell as the other “fortunate son” in this race.
Thad Viers – State Representative (Myrtle Beach)
He will “skull-f*ck” anyone who gets in his way, right? Having survived the fallout from his marital implosion (and certain phone calls that were placed “under the influence of love”), Viers has begun to reestablish himself in the S.C. House. Certainly he would have the best voting record of any of the prospective candidates if he were to make a go of it, and voters are probably willing to overlook some past issues for a guy who has demonstrated that his fiscal conservatism isn’t all talk.
Did we miss anybody?
We’ve heard that a third “mystery Senator” (i.e. not Campsen or Grooms) is also looking at the race, although we’ve been unable to get more than one source to talk about that at this point.
Coming up next … the Democrats …
By Ynot January 4, 2010 at 6:00 pm
Sen Cleary?
Sen Campbell?
Do tell, o’ Sic one.
By Hal I. January 4, 2010 at 6:10 pm
Ashley Cooper?
By Designated Driver January 4, 2010 at 6:15 pm
Skull fuck? Wow, that’s kinky, even by FITS standards.
By Ynotfirst January 4, 2010 at 6:48 pm
the first Ynot is not the original Ynot
By Trey January 4, 2010 at 6:59 pm
Joe Riley is the 800 pound gorilla of the Dems and unbeatable if he goes after this one.
By Yea don't think so January 4, 2010 at 7:44 pm
Off-base on the Campsen attacks- he’s smarter than most of that list. He knocked off a RINO senator in a primary, and he was voting fiscally conservative before it became trendy. They tried the “Patriot’s Point” game in ’04, nothing there.
By Johnson January 4, 2010 at 8:36 pm
Viers has a big problem: People in Horry don’t respect him, they think is is 16 years old cause he acts it. Sure he hangs on to a state house seat. He hasn’t had to beat anybody in the Socastee district so staying in the House hasn’t been hard to do. Still, people in Horry don’t pay attention to voting records. They pay attention to whether you have accomplished anything. Stature, personality, and gravitas win races in Horry and Thad has none unfortunatley. HOWEVER, much of the same stuff can be said for Clemmons.
By good news January 4, 2010 at 9:09 pm
Charleston County Councilman Joe McKeown, Senator Paul Campbell, Senator Mike Rose (ran for seat once before) and Charleston City Councilman Tim Mallard are also considering it.I hope Rose runs, strong fiscal conservative.All four would be more than qualified.
By Pat Hendrix January 4, 2010 at 9:24 pm
Um, Robert Ford?
SC likes to bring the dumb and nobody brings it like Bob.
By V-in-MTP January 4, 2010 at 9:27 pm
I would echo the comments from Yea on Campsen. Not sure how he gets singled out as the ‘dumb’ one out of this crowd. I worked in the State House while in law school, and Chip appeared to be well respected by the law clerks and staff attorneys.
By Designated Driver January 4, 2010 at 10:21 pm
Riley would get his ass cut if he stuck it outside of city limits. Most of his cronies are off city council and he wasn’t even at the table for Boeing. The mayor of the no smoking, early bar closing naziville would be roadkill if he ran.
By Vern January 4, 2010 at 11:31 pm
Mullins McLeod would be a very interesting candidate for this race.
By Calhoun Fawls January 5, 2010 at 4:06 am
Joe Riley is too old to run for a seat in D.C. IT would be a dumb move.
By aeb January 5, 2010 at 9:10 am
The Limehouse Family is not old money. Buck grew up on Johns Is. without much and made his fortune ruthlessly.
By P. Q. Yarr January 5, 2010 at 9:47 am
Will,
My memory is probably failing me.
I thought that you had worked with Senator Campsen in the earlier years, and if so, you would have recognized that the man is very intelligent and imminently qualified.
The other Senator might be Senator Rankin.
We enjoy your work. Keep it coming.
P.Q.Yarr
By Tyler January 5, 2010 at 10:13 am
It will be interesting to see how long Campbell stays in the race. If Merrill, Limehouse, or Campsen threw their hat in and started telling Campbell’s story, the heat might be too much to bare.
Larry Groomes has has done a great job of getting his name out over the last several months and could potentially lead the pack if he chose to enter this race.
By Nope January 5, 2010 at 10:42 am
Rose couldnt even carry his own district if he ran. More people respect bill branton than do mike rose…enough said.
By darth January 5, 2010 at 11:30 am
Tim Scott would be a fine candidate…
aeb, can you spell Fennell, with or without the dollar signs? Sidi Limehouse would be interesting in this race.
Pat Hendrix, doesn’t Robert Ford live, as does Jim Merrill, in the Sixth distrik, with Jim “the Whippa” Clyburn?
Trey, Riley may have issues that come back from the past to haunt if he rubns for anything other than Mayor, though allegedly Stavarnakis is being groomed to take Joe’s reins, apparently Greek Orthodox is close enough to Roman Catholic for the Charleston $$$, but that’s another race.
By Vic Nettles January 5, 2010 at 11:54 am
How about Annette Young
By Overruled January 5, 2010 at 1:23 pm
I hear McCleod may be reconsidering his governors run.
Also, Ashley Cooper is running for Lt. Governor.
By DanielSC January 5, 2010 at 1:32 pm
Funny not one person that is really running via announcements in the list here?
Was this to be a humor piece?
Carrol Campbell III
Katherine Jenerette
Ryan Buckhannon
Are all the candidates that have announced the run so far – they are for real running for District 1 united States House seat.
By me January 5, 2010 at 1:45 pm
Our district is only moderate because the yankees outnumber us southerners here now
By tcinsc January 5, 2010 at 2:58 pm
A flawd man who has repented and seeken the light of day is the perfect place in time to represent us…Thomas Ravanel in’010 congressional district 1
By aeb January 5, 2010 at 3:09 pm
Darth,
The Fennell family is not old money either. Buck’s father-in-law would not sign a building permit in Colleton County unless his son got the job to install the septic system. The waste company grew into the container company. Like Buck, George Fennell made his money.
Sidi would make an outstanding Congressman. No more IRS!
By Minto W. McGill January 5, 2010 at 3:26 pm
aeb nailed it on the Limehouse clan – they are definitely not aristocrats, just good old boys who have been on john-eyeland and in and around the ashley river swamp for a very long time. Chip Limehouse is more Bo or Luke Duke than Arthur Middleton. Can’t you hear ol’ Waylon Jennings singin’ it now?
Nope is right. Rose wouldn’t carry his own state senate district, nor did he when he ran for congress before. He’d still have a shot though – Mike is a tenacious campaigner and always finds a way to find the money. His strength is using his impressive curriculum vitae to make a good first impression. His weakness is his inability to ever maintain that first impression. Eventually, folk get hip to Mike and his popularity plummets. He needs to find a new group of voters on which to make another good first impression because his chances of being renominated to his state senate seat are no better than 50/50.
By Cooter Brown January 5, 2010 at 8:42 pm
I aint runnin’. Mista WIllie ain’t runnin’. Iz Kevin Cohen runnin? Naw. Heeze got hiz eyes on Districk 25:
http://wvoc.com/pages/personality_keven.html
By Earl Capps January 6, 2010 at 9:48 am
I’m not running, even though I hear being a member of congress is a great way to get free booze and easy tail, which would right up my allet.
By Designated Driver January 6, 2010 at 10:40 pm
Fuck Cohen and Capps. They’re as fuckin nutty as Connor and Adams.