Election 2010

By Staff Reports  

JUNE 4, 2010 9:16 a.m. (0)

Republican candidates for governor

Gresham Barrett

Age: 49

Personal information: Married with three children, Barrett lives in Westminster

Education: The Citadel

Current position: S.C. Congressional District Three’s Representative

Previous experience: He’s served in the state house of representatives since 1996, small business owner

Key endorsements: Former Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee, state Chamber of Commerce

On the issues: Supports Arizona-style immigration legislation in S.C., Barrett’s job plan includes promoting “offshore energy exploration” and nuclear power sources, he supported a ban on partial birth abortions in the legislature

Andre Bauer

Age: 41

Personal information: Originally from Charleston, Bauer is not married

Education: University of S.C.

Occupation: S.C.’s 48th Lt. Governor

Previous experience: Elected to the state house in 1996 and he served in the senate from 1999-2003, serves as Lt. Col. in the state’s Civil Air Patrol

Key endorsements: Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee

On the issues: Supports setting “a new standard for responsible energy” by promoting public transportation and tax incentives to individuals using renewable energy, Bauer has been outspoken about “breaking the cycle of Welfare dependency” and  he supports the option of “I believe” car license plate tags at the DMV.

Nikki Haley

Age: 38

Personal information: Married with two children

Education: Clemson University with an accounting degree

Occupation: S.C. Congressional District 87’s Representative

Previous experience: Accounting Supervisor for FCR, Inc. in Charlotte, N.C., and assistant executive director of the Lexington Medical Foundation

Key endorsements: Sarah Palin, Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney

On the issues: Supports immigration reform that involves deportation of illegal immigrants and penalties for businesses that employ illegal immigrants, Haley is pro-life, she supports term limits for legislators and proposes reforming healthcare by allowing insurance competition across state lines and strong tort reform.

Henry McMaster

Age: 63

Personal information: Married with two children

Education: University of South Carolina and USC’s School of Law

Occupation: S.C. Attorney General

Previous experience: Legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond, partner with Tompkins and McMaster Law Firm, appointed by President Ronald Reagan to serve as U.S. Attorney for S.C. from 1981-1985, chairmen of the state’s Republican Party from 1993-2002

Key endorsements: U.S. Sen. John McCain

On the issues: Supports the option of “I believe” car license plate tags at the DMV, he is pro-life, McMaster advocates abolishing parole and the creation of a new sentencing program for non-violent crimes and he supports paying and promoting school teachers based on merit.

Democrat candidates for governor

Robert Ford

Age: 62

Personal information: Originally from New Orleans, Ford is not married

Education: Wayne State University, Grambling State University

Occupation: S.C. District 42’s Senator

Previous experience: Served on Charleston City Council from 1974-1992, elected to state senate in 1992

Key Endorsements: not available

On the issues: Supports bringing video poker back to the state, Ford supports school choice by advocating a voucher program and introduced legislation in favor of conducting off-shore drilling in 2008.

Jim Rex

Age: 69

Personal information: Originally from Toledo, Ohio, Rex is married with four children

Education: University of Toledo

Occupation: State Superintendent of Education

Previous experience: English teacher and football coach in Ohio, dean of education at Winthrop University and Coastal Carolina University, president of Columbia College, vice president for development and alumni relations and cice president of university advancement at the University of South Carolina

Key Endorsements: Allendale City Administrator Dewayne Ennis, Former chair of Oconee County Democratic Party Ken Campbell

On the issues: Founder of Clean Water South Carolina and supports protecting the state’s natural resources, opposes private school vouchers, Rex supports making the GED free in order to boost adult education and employment and he plans to support small businesses by reducing small business owner tax and developing microfinance credit programs.

Vincent Sheheen

Age: 38

Personal information: Originally from Camden, Sheheen is married with three children

Education: Clemson University and USC’s School of Law

Occupation: S.C. District 27’s Senator

Previous experience: State represenative from 2000-2004, attorney for small law firm, served as Camden’s city prosecutor

Key Endorsements: state Chamber of Commerce

On the issues: Supports expanding the state’s alternative energy and health service economy by increasing university research and using nuclear and wind resources, Sheheen advocates raising public school teachers’ pay and reducing the average class size, he supports more accountability and oversight of the state’s mental health care system and “a complete overhaul of our tax system.”

Republican candidates for Lt. Governor

Ken Ard

Age: 46

Personal information: Originally from Pamplico, Ard is married with three children

Education: Wofford College

Occupation: member of Florence County Council

Previous experience: President of Pamplico truck-body manufacturer Double A Body Builder, elected to Florence County Council in 2004, chair of Florence County Republican Party

Key Endorsements: Former Gov. David Beasely

On the issues: Signed the American’s for Tax Reform pledge to not raise taxes, he is pro-life and Ard supported the state’s constitutional amendment to define marriage as an institution between one man and one woman.

Bill Connor

Age: 42

Personal information: Connor lives in Orangeburg with his wife and three children

Education: The Citadel, has J.D. from USC

Occupation: Attorney

Previous experience: Chairman of the Board of Orangeburg Christian Academy, 10 years as Infrantry Officer in U.S. Army

Key Endorsements: Boiling Springs Tea Party, Sen. Billy O’Dell and Danny Verdin

On the issues: Supports a 24-hour waiting period for abortions and is pro-life, Connor supports using nuclear energy for electricity and offshore drilling, he advocates school choice by private school vouchers and tax credits for home schooling and he wants to eliminate state corporate and income tax.

Larry Richter

Age: 62

Personal information: Richter lives in Mt. Pleasant with his wife and three children

Education: University of North Carolina and USC’s School of Law

Occupation: Lawyer, retired judge

Previous experience: Elected to state senate in 1992

Key Endorsements: Mt. Pleasant Mayor Billy Swails, Former state Republican Chair Van Hipp, Jr.

On the issues: Supports term limits for legislative positions, Richter is pro-life, he is a member of the National Rifle Association and supports tax reform to encourage small business growth.

Eleanor Kitzman

Age: 53

Personal information: Kitzman is not married and has one child.

Education: University of Houston, has J.D. from South Texas College of Law, passed S.C. Bar Exam in 2007

Occupation: Retired insurance executive

Previous expereince: Director of state insurance commission

Key Endorsements: Statehouse Report web site

On the issues: Supports increasing the state’s literacy rate, Kitzman advocates tax reform which could include eliminating income and property tax and she supports maintaining the I-CARE senior citizen program.

Democratic candidate for Lt. Gov

Ashley Cooper (unopposed)

 

 

 

 

 

Republican candidates for US Congress District 4

Bob Inglis (Incumbent)

Age: 50

Personal information: Originally from Bluffton, Inglis lives in Travelers Rest with his wife and five children.

Education: Duke University, has a J.D. from the University of Virginia

Previous experience: Elected to represent district four from 1993-1998, practiced commercial real etate and corprate law with Leatherwood Walker Todd & Mann Law Firm, elected again to Congress in 2004

Key Endorsements: National Rifle Association

On the issues: Supported a congressional bill for offshore drilling, opposed recent healthcare reform legislation and Inglis supports legislation that would make English the country’s official language.

Trey Gowdy

Age: 46

Occupation: Seventh Circuit Solicitor

Key Endorsements: Former opponent Andrew Smart, Vice Chairmen of Greenville County Council Bob Taylor

On the issues: Gowdy is pro-life, he supports state sovereignty in regulating education and supports less government regulation of small businesses.

Christina Jeffrey

Age: Jeffrey’s web site says, “A lady doesn’t give her age.”

Personal information: Originally from Texas, Jeffrey lives in Spartanburg with her husband and one child.

Education: University of Plano, has a Ph.D. from the University of Alabama

Occupation: On leave as a professor at Wofford and Capella University, adjunct professor at Lander University

Previous experience: Secretary of the Spartanburg County Republican Party,

Key Endorsements: Associate economics professor at Wofford College Timothy Terrell

On the issues: Jeffrey is pro-life, she supports offshore drilling, she serves as secretary for the National Association for Gun Rights and describes herself as a “tea party principled candidate.”

Jim Lee

Age: 48

Personal information: Lee lives in Mauldin with his wife and five children

Education: Hilbert College in N.Y., Phoenix University

Occupation: Information technology and business consultant

Previous experience: Served on a school board in N.Y., member of the Air Force Reserve

Key Endorsements: Union Tea Party

On the issues: Supports Arizona-style immigration reform, Lee says he will not support earmarks except in the case of declared war, natural disaster and domestic emergencies and he supports reform of the United Nations with a position that if reform does not happen, the US should plan to withdraw from the organization

David Thomas

Age: 60

Personal information: Thomas lives in Foutain Inn with his wife and

Education: University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Texas Christian University and USC’s School of Law

Occupation: S.C. District Eight’s Senator

Previous experience: President of family printing business, member Greenville City Council and mayor, elected to the senate in 1984

Key Endorsements: Former S.C. Representative Tom Marchant

On the issues: Thomas is pro-life, he supports legislation that defines marriage as an institution between one man and one woman, he opposes amnesty for illegal immigrants and supports employer verification of workers and Thomas believes America should “drill here, drill now.”

Democratic candidate for US Congress District 4

Paul Corden (unopposed)

Age: 63

This candidate’s web site has not yet been launched.

 

There is one contested race in Greenville County, County Council, District 28

Fred Payne (incumbent)

Party affiliation: Republican

Personal information: Payne is married with one child.

Education: University of South Carolina, Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, University of Georgia

Occupation: Retired senior consultant of Omega Associates, LLC

Previous experience: President of Mauldin’s Sixth Precinct, former president of Limestone College, vice president for development at North Greenville College, director of ITT Technical Institute-Greenville, and assistant professor at Georgia Southern College.

On the issues: Payne wants to address traffic flow by improving county infrastructure and wants to increase the county’s tax base by attracting family-friendly businesses.

Harry Kibler

Party affiliation: Republican

Personal information: not available

Education: not available

Occupation: not available

Previous experience: not available

On the issues: Supports improvements of infrastructure in order to grow economy and tax relief for small businesses