Sheheen fundraising hits $700,000

Sen. Vincent Sheheen, a Democrat running for governor, has reached his $700,000 fund-raising goal for the first three quarters of the year.

Sheheen, a Camden attorney and Democratic front-runner, announced at a Greenville fund-raising stop Tuesday that he's raised a total of about $700,000 since he announced his run. For the quarter that ends today, Sheheen has raised about $190,000.

Two Republican contenders, U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett and Attorney General Henry McMaster, have raised more than $1 million each.

All gubernatorial candidates must report their fund-raising for this quarter by Oct. 10.

Few to seek GOP nomination for House 79

Kershaw County Republican Sheri Few has announced that she is running for House District 79 next year.

Few, who has run for the seat twice before, said her goals will be to enact tax relief to allow small businesses to create jobs, protect teachers' salaries from budget cuts and protect the taxpayer by supporting smaller, more efficient and more transparent government.

"My vision for the voters of House District 79 is a thriving, growing economy that offers the best jobs, the finest schools, and the safest communities for us to live and to raise our families in," Few said. House District 79 is represented by Democrat Rep. Anton Gunn. It includes Lugoff, Elgin, Pontiac and parts of Northeast Columbia. 

S.C. Progressive Network holds fall retreat

The S.C. Progressive Network will hold its 14th annual fall retreat Oct. 3-4 at the Penn Center on St. Helena Island. Keynote speaker, Bill Fletcher, Jr., a national progressive strategist, will speak about the current political climate and its implications for organizers. Tickets to the event, which is open to the public, are $100 and include conference materials, meals and overnight accommodations. Call (803) 808-3384 or visit www.scpronet.com.

Haley holding fundraiser Tuesday at Hudsons

Lexington Rep. Nikki Haley, who is seeking the Republican nomination for governor, is holding a fundraiser Tuesday evening.

The event, which costs $25, will be held at Hudson's Smokehouse at 5:30 p.m - 7:30 p.m. 4952 Sunset Boulevard.

Milliken to pay S.C. GOP mortgage

The state Republican Party has enlisted Spartanburg textile magnate Roger Milliken to help the party pay off the $340,000 mortgage on its Columbia headquarters building.

In addition, the party hopes to spend an addition $160,000 to upgrade the building to meet environmental efficiency standards as well as adding a media center to produce campaign materials, such as podcasts, for candidates.

Sanford forms transportation board

Gov. Mark Sanford has established the S.C. Interagency Transportation Coordination Council, which will help transportation agencies streamline their operations and collaborate more effectively.

Sanford signed the executive order Friday, according to a news release from the governor's office. 

"We believe this is a small but meaningful step toward better protecting both the wallets and indeed time of taxpayers," Sanford said in the release. "These efforts - specifically consolidating and coordinating state agencies' transportation programs - go to the core of commonsense notions like restructuring and quality of life, and for that, I'd encourage this group in its work going forward." 

Sanford will appoint to the council Bill McIlwain of Lexington, a state Department of Transportation veteran who has served as Statewide Rail Program Manager, Director of Administration, and Director of Finance in the agency. Other members will be named later.

GOP Contenders Say Confederate Flag Debate is Over

When asked whether the Confederate battle flag should be removed from the State House grounds, the five GOP gubernatorial contenders sounded a similar note in Tuesday's debate:
U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett:"I think we've dealt with that question."
State Sen. Larry Grooms, R-Berkeley: "It should not be removed. We've had that debate."
Attorney General Henry McMaster: "That issue has been settled...I remember the debate and it was almost unanimous that it be moved to where it is now."
Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer: "We had an agreement (to move it to its present location)...We've moved forward and beyond that issue."
Rep. Nikki Haley, R-Lexington: "There were a lot of hurt feelings (on both sides of the issue)...I would not want to revisit that issue."

McMaster Accepting Campaign Dollars from State-Paid Attorneys

Attorney General Henry McMaster said he is taking campaign contributions from attorneys who do business with the state of South Carolina in his bid to become governor. "There's a lot of attorneys, a lot of non-attorneys, who have made contributions to me and my opponents," McMaster said in Tuesday's GOP gubernatorial debate.

Carroll Campbell vs. Mark Sanford?

During Tuesday's GOP gubernatorial debate in Newberry, the five candidates were asked whether they would be more of a Gov. Carroll Campbell style governor or more of a Gov. Mark Sanford style governor?
* Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer said he considers himself more of a Gov. Carroll Campbell governor. "He took a business approach when he traveled the world and made South Carolina number one in jobs," Bauer said.
* Attorney General Henry McMaster said he's "probably a combination." McMaster said he admired Campbell's dedication to agressivly growing businesses in the Palmetto State. But, McMaster said, Sanford's ideas on low taxes and government restructuing are "good Republican principles and I'm not willing to give those up," he said.
* State Sen. Larry Grooms, R-Berkeley, said he appreciates Sanford's dedication to low taxes but also admires Campbell's dedication to job creation. "I'm going to bring in more jobs than he did," Grooms said.
* U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett said he's a Campbell man. "It's about working with people. It's about bringing people to the table. That's what a governor does," he said.
* Rep. Nikki Haley, R-Lexington, did not answer the question. Instead, she talked about her immigrant parents and her role as a mother of two children and an accountant who is dedicated to reigning in government spending.

Haley Disappointed by Sanford

Rep. Nikki Haley, R-Lexington, said she's disappointed with the behavior of her ally, Gov. Mark Sanford. "This has been painful to watch. It has not been a fun summer," Haley said, noting it's time to move beyond the scandal. Haley said there's been much made of media reports about Sanford's affair with an Argentine woman and questions about his travel and use of state aircraft. Haley said the media will back off when lawmakers begin discussing other topics that matter to South Carolina. "They will stop when we stop," Haley said.