S.C. primary: Witherspoon gives Sen. Graham a run with no money

S.C. primary: Witherspoon gives Sen. Graham a run with no money

By Albert N. Milliron, Politisite.com

Sen. Graham has been added to the unofficial group called RHINOS (Republican in Name Only) He began to sway away from conservative values when he became a supporter of Senator John McCain. Once he endorsed him in the last election he had become a McCaininite and has followed his on every legislative activity that Senator McCain has supported. Local folks in SC had real problems with his change to a moderate and put up a true conservative against him in the primary.

When the polls closed Senator Graham had prevailed with 67% of the vote. Witherspoon’s lack of funding and name recognition took its toll in the final tally. For a first time Senatorial candidate 33% is not a bad outcome to a once very popular incumbent.

Sen. Lindsey Graham Survives Challenge From Within Party

It’s rare for an incumbent U.S. senator to face opposition from within his own party. But Sen. Lindsey Graham’s compromises with Senate Democrats in Washington were too much for Republican activist Buddy Witherspoon of Lexington to bear. He challenged Graham in the Republican primary Tuesday, after traveling the state saying Graham is too liberal for South Carolina.

While tens of thousands of Republicans agree, the majority does not. Graham defeated Witherspoon easily.

With 100 percent of the precincts reporting, Graham got 186,398 votes (67 percent) to Witherspoon’s 92,547 (33 percent).

Source: wspa.com via politisite

Challenger Buddy Witherspoon, a retired orthodontist and former Republican National Committee member, has criticized the one-term incumbent as too liberal for this conservative state. Graham has even taken heat on the immigration reform from the Democratic side of the ballot; two newcomers to state politics also seek their party’s nomination for the seat Tuesday.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) _ U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham looked to fend off a Republican challenge during primary elections Tuesday that will test what South Carolinians think about his strong ties to John McCain and their work on a failed illegal immigration measure.

Graham has a dominating war chest and name recognition and few observers believed his re-election bid was in danger. McCain, after all, did win the January primary here and Graham has used his endorsement in television ads.

“My re-election, I think, will benefit South Carolina because if he gets to be president, South Carolina’s interests will have a receptive audience due to our relationship,” Graham told The Associated Press in a recent interview. “I want to help him do the hard things.”

It’s a description that fits the immigration measure, which would have provided a path to citizenship. At the state GOP convention a year ago, the crowd booed and shouted “No” at Graham’s explanations of the bill. He became the butt of criticism from conservatives and Rush Limbaugh labeled the proposal “Grahamnesty.”

But Graham has a huge financial advantage over all comers. His most recent filing showed he spent $3.2 million through May 21 and had $4.5 million on hand. Witherspoon had spent $211,356 and had $94,484 on hand after borrowing $220,000 to run his campaign.

Graham, 52, is an Air Force Reserve colonel and has served in Iraq as the only uniformed member of the U.S. Senate.

The lawyer grew was born in Seneca and grew up watching his parents run a restaurant, pool hall and liquor store. When they died 15 months apart as he finished his degree at the University of South Carolina, he adopted his younger sister Darline when she was 13.

Witherspoon, a 69-year-old Navy veteran, characterizes himself as a devout Christian who opposes abortion and gay marriage and knocks Graham for being “joined at the hip” with McCain. He says he’s playing the role of David vs. Goliath in the race, and wants to severely crack down on businesses that knowingly hire illegal workers.

Graham’s two lightly funded Democratic

Source: scnow.com via politisite

Fron WIS-TV and the AP

COLUMBIA, SC (AP) – The primaries for South Carolina state Senate and House seats on Tuesday were shaping up to be as much a test of endorsements as they were of the candidates themselves.

On the Democratic side, some incumbents faced criticism for their endorsements during the state’s high-profile presidential campaigns in January. For Republicans, some contests featured challengers backed by Gov. Mark Sanford who were running against incumbent legislators.

All 170 seats in the Legislature are up for election this year and voters were choosing the Democratic or Republican nominee in 48 House races and 22 Senate contests. With Republicans controlling 60 percent of both chambers, the balance of power is not expected to shift in November.

Among the incumbents running are two high-profile black Democratic senators who supported Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton who now face black opponents who support Barack Obama.

Sens. Robert Ford of Charleston and Darrell Jackson of Columbia are both seeking their fifth terms.

Ford’s challenger, lawyer Dwayne Green, said Ford’s comments about Obama prompted his run. Early in the primary season, Ford predicted trouble for Democrats in November should a black nominee lead the ticket.

“We’d lose the House and the Senate and the governors and everything,” said Ford, who later apologized.

Green said Ford’s comment took the state backward.

“It was discouraging to hear a senior African-American leader in this state criticize the most viable African-American presidential candidate in those terms. It sends a bad message to African-American youth in this state,” said Green, who co-hosted a fundraiser for Obama.

Ford, who’s known for his outspokenness, said he’s dedicated his life to helping blacks and called Green’s criticism “pure garbage and nonsense.”

“People in my district know I’m a true public servant,” said Ford, who boasts of being arrested 73 times during the civil rights era.

Jackson’s opponent, a school board chairwoman in Richland County named Wendy Brawley, accused the incumbent of “crossing an ethical line” when his media consulting firm negotiated a $10,000-per-month contract with Clinton’s campaign.

Source: wistv.com via politisite