Fiscally-conservative (but charismatically-challenged) S.C. Rep. Ralph Norman has reportedly signed on to run against liberal tax-and-spender Bobby Harrell for Speaker of the S.C. House of Representatives – arguably the most powerful elected office in the Palmetto State.

Of course there is considerable speculation within Palmetto political circles that Norman’s rumored candidacy is merely part of an effort to earn a prestigious cabinet post in a Nikki Haley administration come 2011.

According to emails obtained by FITS, Norman has told a group of Tea Party activists that he will challenge Harrell – which of course prompted “much rejoicing” among their ranks.

“We have a new opportunity to dethrone King Bobby Harrell,” one email reads. “Anyone would be better then Bobby, but Ralph isn’t just anyone!”

These Tea Party groups are allegedly working closely with the S.C. Policy Council, a Republican think tank that has sparred with Harrell in the past over spending and the issue of government transparency.

Harrell, who was elected Speaker five years ago, has plunged the state down an unsustainable course of reckless government growth.

Under his leadership, the House has raised taxes and fees to pay for all sorts of new spending, and he’s the primary legislative author of our state’s failed government-run economic development model – the so-called “pillars and pyramids” scheme. This, of course, is the genius concept that has produced notorious boondoggles like “Innovista,” a speculative real estate deal disguised as a “research campus” that has sucked up over $150 million in taxpayer funds (and counting) with nothing to show for it but empty buildings.

Harrell has also emerged as the preeminent defender of South Carolina’s failed education establishment, which isn’t surprising considering the money he’s pumped into the system and the fact he authored the costly “accountability” measures that were supposed to turn things around a decade ago (but which have similarly failed).

On a personal level, Harrell has also made numerous enemies in both parties given his legendary temper tantrums and failure to keep his promises. Among Republicans – both fiscal liberals and conservatives – Harrell is viewed with disdain when compared to former Speaker David Wilkins, who was also known for his volatile temper but was generally considered to be a man of his word

By contrast, Norman (who just regained his seat in the S.C. House after losing a 2006 bid for the U.S. Congress) has one of the strongest fiscal conservative voting records in the S.C. General Assembly. He’s also a supporter of universal parental choice and is generally well-liked by his colleagues.

Giving the current ideological makeup of the S.C. House, however, we see absolutely no way for Norman to win. There simply aren’t enough fiscal conservative votes when you consider that the majority of Republicans vote with Democrats on most issues.

That’s why the other rumored challenger to Harrell – Judiciary Chairman Jim Harrison – was reportedly seeking to duplicate the current Speaker’s “center-left” coalition in creating his path to power.

Which means nothing would have changed …

Also, multiple sources tell FITS that Norman is high on GOP gubernatorial nominee Nikki Haley’s list to become the next Secretary of Commerce (along with Upstate Alliance CEO Hal Johnson) – which let’s face it, is a lot more likely to happen than him becoming the next Speaker.

The bottom line is that real change will not come to South Carolina’s legislative leadership until the ideological composition of both the S.C. House and State Senate changes … and changes dramatically.

That means fiscal conservative leaders must engage the Republican primary process and aggressively support reformers over status quo incumbents – something S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford never attempted to do in any meaningful way and which Nikki Haley appears similarly disinclined to do based on her subservient position on the state budget.

S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford – whose groundbreaking executive budgets revolutionized the way Palmetto state governors approached the debate over state spending – gently scolded his hand-picked successor for her decision not to follow in his footsteps.

In an email sent to supporters on Wednesday, Sanford said he “concurred” with an editorial published in the Charleston Post and Courier that urged Haley to reconsider her decision to leave the budgeting to the S.C. General Assembly.

“Prior to this administration, governors were not materially involved in the budget process,” Sanford wrote. “Past governors set out their spending priorities only in the broadest terms, without getting into the details of how the state budget could be balanced and core government functions preserved. When we came into office in 2003, we changed that by delivering to the General Assembly a full Executive Budget, explaining exactly which functions should be funded, to what degree, and the reasoning behind our priorities.”

(To read Sanford’s message in its entirety, click here).

Believe us, there are plenty of Sanford’s footsteps that should be avoided at all costs … starting with the ones he never took down the Appalachian Trail.

But Sanford’s executive budgets – at least his early ones, anyway – were truly revolutionary. Like our famed 95 theses, they were comprehensive reform blueprints that still offer dozens of common sense suggestions that could save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.

As we noted in our coverage of Haley’s decision, abandoning the executive budget would remove “a key plank of (Haley’s) bully pulpit before she’s even been elected.”

“At $20.8 billion , this year’s state budget is South Carolina’s largest-ever – and Haley is throwing away her primary tool to frame the debate over how that money should be spent (and more importantly the debate over why we’re spending so damn much of it in the first place),” we wrote.

The Post and Courier agrees, dismissively referring to Haley’s refusal to draft a budget as “an apparent effort to make nice with her fellow legislators.”

“The next governor — whether Rep. Haley or state Sen. Vincent Sheheen — should make a clear statement of spending priorities in an executive budget,” the paper’s editorial board writes. “It should serve as the chief executive’s best case for managing the difficult fiscal situation at hand.”

Haley’s refusal to outline a spending plan also gives her Democratic opponent – S.C. Senator Vincent Sheheen – another opening to criticize her for not being transparent.

Governors are required by law to submit budgets, but in the past South Carolina chief executives have typically limited their input to a brief list of “suggestions.” These flimsy documents weren’t “budgets” at all, they were merely outlines for funding specific pet projects. The business of actually preparing a spending plan to run state government was left exclusively to lawmakers – which has produced disastrous results for taxpayers.

Sanford – to his credit – turned that process on its ear, submitting detailed spending plans each year during his administration that could have (and should have) been used to run state government. In the process Sanford – or more precisely, his former deputy chief of staff Chad Walldorf – argued in favor of numerous tax cuts, spending reductions and structural changes that could have saved taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.

They also forced dozens of bureaucrats to appear at public hearings to justify how the money they were receiving helped them perform a core function of government.

Most importantly, Sanford and Walldorf pioneered an “activity-based” budget model that approached spending from a zero-based, outcome driven perspective (i.e. “purchasing” core functions first) as opposed to the legislative model, which basically just increases funding from the previous year to every state agency based on special interest wishes, electoral considerations or insider horse-trading.

Obviously, all of Sanford’s budget suggestions were ignored by lawmakers – which is Haley’s stated rationale for giving up on the process. It was also Sanford’s stated rationale for watering down his budgets considerably during the later years of his administration.

But as we said last week, “even if lawmakers were to ignore her fiscally-conservative budget proposals completely, Haley could hold their feet to the fire by issuing vetoes and campaigning against them (the latter being something Sanford failed to do in any meaningful sense during his term).”

Come to think of it, that’s precisely why Republican primary voters chose Haley as their nominee over three “go along to get along” status quo candidates – because she was (in the words of her new TV commercial) going to “take back our government.”

Thusfar on taxes, education and the budget, however, it appears that all Haley is more interested in waving the white flag than fighting for the best interests of individual South Carolinians.

As we’ve said, as the Post and Courier says and as Sanford is now saying, that’s too bad.

“All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men (and women) to do nothing,” Irish statesman Edmund Burke once wrote.

To which American poet Ella Wheeler Wilcox added, “to sin by silence, when we should protest, makes cowards out of men.”

Haley needs to stop being a coward and start being the reformer she promised us she was going to be.

In case you haven’t paid it a visit yet, our brand new News and Events page has been blowing up … and not just with the latest S.C. political news releases, but with dozens of reader comments, too.

Like all FITS content, these news releases appear on our RSS feed and are picked up by all of our partner web sites as well as internet search engines.

They’re also clicked on by all of South Carolina’s political movers and shakers … (even those who swear they don’t read our website).

So if you want your press release, media advisory, email blast or candidate statement picked up (as opposed to ignored) then our News and Events page is where you want to be.

If you’re a candidate, campaign manager, office holder, agency head or member of a politically-active organization and want to submit an item for consideration, just go to our submissions page and follow the uploading instructions.  Or – if you’d like us to do all the work – just add our founding editor’s email address (w@fitsnews.com) to your media list.

We’ll take it from there!

One of many planned enhancements here on the “new FITS” (which we launched last month), we hope you continue to enjoy our new News and Events page. Also, stay tuned for more content upgrades and interactive additions to the site in the months to come …

The University of Georgia’s star wide receiver – A.J. Green – will miss the Bulldogs’ next three football games, the NCAA announced late Wednesday.

That means Green will not play in this Saturday’s pivotal SEC opener against the University of South Carolina (1-0, 0-0 SEC). Nor will he play against No. 14 Arkansas (Sept. 18) or Mississippi State (Sept. 25).

What did Green do?

Honestly not much (as far as we can tell) … he sold his Independence Bowl jersey to an individual who apparently meets the NCAA’s definition of an agent. Green has since given the money he made off the jersey sale to charity – which makes us wonder why the NCAA came down on him so hard.

Green was reportedly also being investigated in connection with an agent-sponsored party in Miami that has landed players at Alabama, North Carolina and South Carolina in hot water, but he has vigorously denied those claims and the NCAA suspension made no mention of them.

“I want to apologize to my coaches, teammates, and the Georgia fans for the mistake in judgment,” Green said in a statement. “I very much regret all that has taken place and the distraction that’s been caused. I’ve learned a valuable lesson and hope others can learn from my mistake. I can only focus my attention now on practicing and looking ahead to getting back with my teammates as quickly as possible.”

Georgia will appeal the suspension – which the NCAA made retroactive to the Bulldogs’ season-opening win over Louisiana-Lafayette.

“Certainly I’m disappointed with the outcome,” Georgia head coach Mark Richt said. “However, we have games to play and that’s where our focus needs to be in the coming days and weeks. Other players will have to step forward and I’m confident they will do that.”

Green, a 6′ 4″, 212-pound junior, was Georgia’s go-to wide receiver a year ago, catching 53 passes for 808 yards and six touchdowns. In his place, senior wide receiver Kris Durham will get the start.

A former star at Summerville (S.C.) High School, Green is a preseason first-team all-SEC selection and is viewed by many as a potential NFL first round NFL pick.

Georgia comes into Williams Brice stadium on Saturday ranked No. 22 by the Associated Press, No. 19 by the coaches and No. 18 by ESPN. Those three polls have South Carolina ranked No. 24, 25 and 23, respectively. Oddsmakers have installed USC as a two-point favorite.

South Carolina, incidentally, is awaiting word from the NCAA on the status of three of its starters – offensive tackle Jarriel King, defensive back Chris Culliver and tight end Weslye Saunders. All three missed the Gamecocks’ season-opening 41-13 win over Southern Miss – with Saunders suspended indefinitely while the NCAA investigates his connection to the Miami agent party.

Saturday’s game kicks off at noon and will be televised nationally on ESPN2.

For Immediate Release
Contact: Mia Butler
803-413-5252

MIA BUTLER FILES FOR HOUSE DISTRICT 79
Local businesswoman seeks to fill seat vacated by Rep. Anton Gunn

COLUMBIA, SC – Mia Butler, a business owner and entrepreneur with two decades of public and private sector experience in South Carolina announced late today that she has officially filed to become a candidate for the District 79 vacancy left open by Democratic Representative Anton Gunn.

Butler said she wants to use her business experience to bring a strong voice for job-creation and economic development to the State House. She also vowed to continue the example set by Representative Gunn to bring rational and effective leadership, focused on bringing both sides together to help address South Carolina’s challenges. “As a strong business woman with government experience, I know what it takes to streamline a budget and resolve issues that individuals and small business owners are facing. I have demonstrated it in my business for 8 years. You can’t have success in business without working with people to address their problems, effectively and efficiently. We need a strong leader who is focused on getting things done,” said Butler.

“I have lived in this district for the last 13 years. I’m raising my family here and I’m seeing the changes that are happening in our community. We need a leader who understands those changes and can make an immediate impact at the State House. I have the experience and the commitment to stand up for what’s right for our district and our state. I want to be an independent voice for our district,” stated Butler.

As the Principal of the corporate communications firm, McLeod Butler Communications, Butler has been a tireless advocate for small businesses, public education, crime victims, public safety and higher education institutions over the last decade. Butler’s professional experience includes launching and directing a statewide program for former South Carolina Attorney General Charlie Condon, receiving a gubernatorial appointment to direct one of the largest programs within the South Carolina Governor’s Office of Executive Policies & Programs under former Governor Jim Hodges and serving on the Board of Directors of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, where she is an active member of the Chamber’s Small Business and Communications committees, as well as its Excellence in Education Council.

Business and political leaders praised Butler’s candidacy for the State House. Former Governor Jim Hodges said, “Mia Butler was a key member of the leadership team in my administration. She’s intelligent, hard working and has great ideas about job creation and educational improvement. I strongly support her candidacy for the Democratic nomination in House District 79.”

“From improving education, to passing comprehensive tax reform and creating jobs, we face many challenges in South Carolina.” Butler said. “We can meet those challenges, but it will require a leader who can hit the ground running and advocate on behalf of small businesses to spur economic growth opportunities. I know I can bring that to the State House.”

“I believe that Mia Butler will be a great Representative for Kershaw and Richland counties. She has demonstrated her leadership skills in business and she has a clear vision for improving our state,” said Steve Benjamin, Mayor of Columbia. “Mia believes in the South Carolina values of faith, hard work, community involvement, and independence.”

Mia Butler is married to Tracy Garrick. They, along with sons, Brian “BJ” and Cameron Butler reside in Lake Carolina.

-###-

GOVERNOR MARK SANFORD

A MESSAGE FROM MARK

Dear Friends,

I won’t take much of your time, but I wanted to let you know about an editorial that appeared in the Charleston Post and Courier today titled “Don’t Scrap the Executive Budget.” I concur with its findings and thought you might find it of interest. Click here to read it, or simply scroll down.

Prior to this administration, governors were not materially involved in the budget process. Our view was that the front row seat of what happens in any legislative session was based on how much you were spending and where you were spending it in that year – and that anything else made for seating in the bleachers. Past governors set out their spending priorities only in the broadest terms, without getting into the details of how the state budget could be balanced and core government functions preserved. When we came into office in 2003, we changed that by delivering to the General Assembly a full Executive Budget, explaining exactly which functions should be funded, to what degree, and the reasoning behind our priorities. We also held interactive, and unprecedented, budget hearings that brought together the best private sector and public sector experts to catalyze discussion and turn ideas into practical recommendations.

These Executive Budgets have been vital in creating a budget blue print that showed how we could fund core services of government without raising taxes. They were important in showing the savings that might come from restructuring and consolidating government.

Once again, I’d encourage you to read the Post and Courier’s editorial here, and pass it along to a friend or relative who may find it of interest. I hope your Labor Day was well spent with family and friends, and wish you all the best as we move into the fall.

Take care,

Mark Sanford
+++

Don’t scrap executive budget
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
The Charleston Post and Courier

In an apparent effort to make nice with her fellow legislators, Rep. Nikki Haley says she will forego an executive budget if elected governor and instead work directly with lawmakers on their fiscal plan for the state. To do so would abandon an important advance of the Sanford administration.

Gov. Sanford has annually presented the Legislature with an executive budget setting forth his views of what state taxpayers should fund and at what expense. His budgets have been more detailed than those of his predecessors and have served as a policy statement of executive branch priorities.

The executive budget implicitly recommends the notion that the governor, as chief executive of the state, should be setting the agenda for South Carolina.

Too bad the General Assembly has chosen to disregard Gov. Sanford’s frugal budget message over the years. If legislative budget writers had paid more attention to his cost-savings ideas, the state probably wouldn’t be in quite the dire fiscal circumstances that it now finds itself, the economic downturn notwithstanding.

Rep. Haley’s intention of working with her current colleagues on their budget recognizes that Gov. Sanford has gotten the cold shoulder from the legislative branch on the fiscal front.
She described the antagonistic process between the Legislature and Gov. Sanford in comments to a local Realtors group: “They would pass a bill, he would react. They would pass a budget, he would react. In order to lead with the Legislature, you have to be predictable. You have to let them know what you’re going to do before you do it.”

But better relations between the executive and legislative branches can be accomplished short of abandoning the executive budget process. The state’s dire fiscal situation should generally command a more sustainable course.

If the Legislature produces a budget that isn’t fiscally responsible, the governor has the option of using his line-item veto. And lawmakers have the option to override.
During Gov. Sanford’s tenure, the Legislature has more often than not voted to override his vetoes. It is notable, however, that more of his vetoes were sustained this year — a recognition of the difficult financial problems facing state government.

The next budget is expected to be even tighter than this year’s as state revenues continue to decline. The next governor — whether Rep. Haley or state Sen. Vincent Sheheen — should make a clear statement of spending priorities in an executive budget.

It should serve as the chief executive’s best case for managing the difficult fiscal situation at hand. It shouldn’t preclude a better working relationship between the governor and the Legislature.

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/sep/08/dont-scrap-executive-budget/

Embattled fourteen-term incumbent John Spratt faced off with S.C. Senator Mick Mulvaney in the first – and possibly the only – debate of the hotly-contested 2010 S.C. fifth district congressional race.

The debate actually made news before it even began, as Spratt refused to allow cameras inside the event, which was sponsored by the River Hills (S.C.) Lions Club. Spratt also reportedly threatened to back out of the debate if local television stations attempted to film any of the exchanges – part of an increasing aversion he apparently has to being videotaped.

Prior to the debate, Mulvaney rapped Spratt for “refusing the most basic expectations of transparency.”

“The people of this district deserve a full, free and fair discussion of the issues. Unfortunately, that’s never going to happen since Mr. Spratt is banning cameras from debates,” Mulvaney said. “This is America. In this country, we debate the issues and let the people decide – we don’t manipulate the process to keep the press and the public out.”

Moderated by Winthrop University political science professor Scott Huffmon, the debate was a study in contrasts – with Mulvaney advancing the economic benefits of a limited government philosophy while Spratt attempted to defend his votes in support of recent government spending increases and expansions of its power. Spratt on several occasions sought to distance himself from his recent liberal voting record by highlighting more conservative positions he had taken in the past. Meanwhile, Mulvaney repeatedly hammered away at the financial impact that Spratt’s votes in favor of bailouts, deficit spending and socialized medicine were having on fifth district businesses.

On taxes, Mulvaney said he favored the elimination of the estate tax (a.k.a. the “death tax”), which is coming back with a vengeance in 2011 at a higher level that will affect eight times as many estates. Spratt said that government couldn’t afford to lose the revenue from the tax hike.

Spratt also said he favored increasing capital gains and dividend taxes, which Mulvaney says he opposed.

On immigration, Spratt said he supported legislation sponsored by U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (RINO/DIC-SC) and Charles Schumer (D-New York) that would force all workers to obtain biometric identification cards.

“At the very least we need a system that can identify everybody,” Spratt said.

Spratt said he had not read a controversial Arizona immigration law that permits police to enforce existing federal law, but said that he believed immigration was “better handled” by the federal government.

Mulvaney said he supported the Arizona law because the federal government wasn’t doing its job, and referenced his sponsorship of immigration legislation in South Carolina that would mirror the new statute.

“It’s not a complicated issue,” Mulvaney said of the bill. “It simply calls on state law – both in Arizona and here – to mirror the federal law with respect to how we are supposed to handle illegal immigration.”

On deficit spending, Mulvaney said that the accumulation of trillions of dollars in additional debt over the last few years represented the “single largest risk to our nation in history.”

Spratt, who has authored most of that deficit spending in his role as budget chairman, pointed to deficit restrictions he authored in the late 1990s in an effort to position himself as deficit hawk – while blaming the recent spate of deficit spending on former president George W. Bush.

Obviously that ignores the $5 trillion in new deficit spending that Congress has approved since Spratt became budget chairman.

Spratt did say, however, that the government should “rein in defense spending,” a curious position from an outspoken advocate of the military.

On environmental issues, Spratt broke with the administration of Barack Obama by saying that he supported drilling for oil in Alaska – a position Mulvaney also supported. Both candidates said they supported an “all of the above” approach to energy creation, although in the past Mulvaney has said that he opposed Spratt’s vote in support of new energy taxes.

While both candidates received applause for various responses, the biggest cheer of the night came when Mulvaney said that he supported the repeal of Obama’s socialized medicine law – which Spratt not only voted for but shepherded through his budget committee.

“We can’t afford it,” Mulvaney said, highlighting the high costs it would impose on South Carolina businesses.

Spratt disagreed, saying that “Obamacare” would help small businesses by lowering costs (a contention that recent data doesn’t support).

“Small businesses don’t need government,” Mulvaney countered. “They need government to get out of the way.”

Spratt claimed victory in the debate via a press release from his spokesman, saying that he is only candidate in this race that fifth district voters “can trust to represent them.”

“Senator Mulvaney proved – yet again – that he can’t be relied upon to find real solutions to the problems facing this district and the challenge to create jobs,” Spratt spokesman Wil Brown said. “He can only provide talking points and sound bites.”

Meanwhile, Mulvaney challenged Spratt to a series of additional debates – and challenged him to permit those exchanges to be televised.

While cameras were not permitted, one video of the debate has already emerged on the internet.

Here it is (in four clips …)

Spratt-Mulvaney Debate I
Spratt-Mulvaney Debate II
Spratt Mulvaney Debate III
Spratt Mulvaney Debate IV

JOHN SPRATT FOR CONGRESS

For Immediate Release

Spratt Victorious in First Debate

Lake Wylie SC – Last night Congressman John Spratt emerged victorious in his first debate against SC State Senator Mick Mulvaney at the River Hills Country Club.

The debate, sponsored by the River Hills Lions Club, was the first debate between the two candidates for Congress. Throughout the evening, Spratt used his experience and knowledge to provide detailed answers to the questions posed by the moderator, Dr. Scott Huffmon.
Campaign manager Wil Brown had this to say about Spratt’s performance, “Once again, John Spratt has proven to the voters of the 5th District why he’s the only candidate in this race they can trust to represent them in Congress and create jobs. Congressman Spratt gave honest answers to each question and demonstrated his grasp of each and every issue. He also made it clear he has a proven record of bringing jobs to this area and has stood up for Main Street values. Senator Mulvaney proved – yet again – that he can’t be relied upon to find real solutions to the problems facing this district and the challenge to create jobs. He can only provide talking points and sound bites. After tonight, I’m sure the people of the 5th District will re-elect John Spratt.”

###

MICK MULVANEY FOR U.S. CONGRESS

For Immediate Release
9.08.2010

Mulvaney Challenges Spratt to Televised Debate in Every County

Mulvaney: “I was glad to hear Mr. Spratt break the news last night that he wants to have more debates, and I look forward to contrasting my conservative principles with his support for the Obama-Pelosi agenda of tax hikes, bailouts, and government-run health care.”

Lancaster, S.C. – State Senator Mick Mulvaney, Republican candidate for Congress (SC-5), today announced a plan to follow the River Hills Lions Club debate with several more. Though the Lions Club debate was the first that Mr. Spratt accepted, people look forward to many more debates before November 2nd.

“I was glad to hear Mr. Spratt break the news last night that he wants to have more debates, and I look forward to contrasting my conservative principles with his support for the Obama-Pelosi agenda of tax hikes, bailouts, and government-run health care,” said Sen. Mulvaney. “The people of this District deserve to know where we stand on the issues,” continued Mulvaney. “Holding a televised debate in every county would be a great way to have a real, public discussion on how best to get the country headed in the right direction.”

According to the Rock Hill Herald, “Mulvaney told reporters that he wants to hold debates in each of the 14 counties in the 5th Congressional District. Spratt signaled he’s open to more meetings – including an upcoming debate on S.C. ETV – but did not specify dates or locations.”

Sen. Mulvaney will send a letter to Mr. Spratt today calling for a televised debate in every 5th Congressional District county.

####

VINCENT SHEHEEN FOR GOVERNOR

Dear Supporter,

With less than sixty days until Election Day, we here at Team Sheheen want to make sure you continue to maximize your campaign interactive experience and stay informed on all the latest updates and news.  Vincent has a great chance to be our next governor, but he cannot do it without your support and continued involvement.  We have launched a new website design with you in mind and now you will have even more ways to help make Vincent our next Governor. Visit today and come back often because we will continually add content so that VincentSheheen.com will be the ultimate portal for you to do your part in changing the direction of South Carolina.

Here are some of the new and updated features:

Get Involved
Get involved with Team Sheheen!  The most important thing you can do to help us to victory.  Donate, volunteer with the campaign, sign up for email updates and request yard signs and bumper stickers.

Events
Follow Vincent’s travels around South Carolina on the Events page. See when Vincent will be in your area and find information about events where you can meet him and other supporters.

Endorsements
Our list of those who stand behind Vincent continues to grow. Keep up with the diverse groups and individuals who want to see a new direction and know Vincent is the only candidate who can make that happen.

Online Store
Show your support for Vincent with Sheheen Gear. Purchase all your Sheheen duds through our new online store. T-shirts, mugs, tote bags – and more!

Mobile
Now you can easily access VincentSheheen.com on the go. The mobile website makes it easy for you to stay updated with Vincent and the campaign on your mobile device. See the latest news, learn more about Vincent and his stances on the issues and easily donate to the campaign all on your phone!

Stay tuned for even more exciting activity on the new website as we race to victory November 2nd.  Thank you for all your support.

Take care -

Melissa

Melissa Thomas
Sheheen for Governor