April 8, 2008
Greenville County Democrats left 22 of 27 state and local offices unchallenged when filing for the races closed Sunday, but their new chairman views the numbers in terms of a cup half-full, not half-empty.
Excitement generated by a presidential primary battle that saw Democratic candidates outdraw the Republican field helped boost interest and candidate numbers, said Kevin Mertens, who took over as county Democratic chairman less than a month ago.
"It shows a lot of excitement that we have five Democratic primaries; I can't remember the last time we had that many," including a three-way congressional primary.
Primary elections are June 10 and the general election is Nov. 4.
The Democrats' road back will be a long one, though.
In a county where the GOP has been dominant for decades, Republicans produced a candidate for every line on the ballot, 36 in all, good enough for 10 primaries. They're contesting some strong Democratic districts they have ignored in the past.
Samuel Harms, Mertens' Republican counterpart, called it "a tremendous feat," one not seen since the Reconstruction era of the 1870s.
For Mertens, "there were a couple of districts where we would have liked to have fielded some candidates, but we weren't able to. Still, we have more candidates running than we've had for years and that's a direct result of the (presidential) excitement."
"I congratulate Samuel for having someone for every slot; that's a lot of hard work รณ and something for us to shoot for," Mertens said. "And I intend to."
The demographics of Greenville County and the Upstate still make it a tough recruiting job for his party, Mertens said, but one that can be countered by "showing that Democrats are pro-business, that we have people of faith in the party and support lower taxes.
"We need to do a better job of making our case," especially in those districts north of Interstate 85, he said.
Statewide, the GOP posted a full slate of candidates for South Carolina's six U.S. House seats. All four Republicans and both Democrats are seeking re-election. In addition, there are Republican candidates for solicitor in all but one of the state's 16 judicial districts. Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham has a primary with Buddy Witherspoon, a former national GOP official, and two Democrats, Michael Cone of Charleston and Bob Conley will vie for their party's nomination.
Katon Dawson, the party's chairman, called the filing results "a big step towards victory."
Carol Fowler, the state Democratic chairman, said preliminary reports suggest "we did pretty well. A lot of people filed for legislative races where we haven't had anyone for a while."
Statewide data on filings for the 124 House and 46 Senate seats at stake this year are being compiled, but if the traditional pattern holds, dozens of lawmakers will be unopposed and still others will have only token opposition, indicators of little likelihood for significant change.
Greenville's line-up, with a dozen seats unchallenged or under-challenged, is a likely microcosm of what the state reports will show.
There is potential for more shake-ups from the June 10 primaries than the Nov. 4 general election.
For example, Rep. Gloria Haskins, R-Greenville, faces a serious primary test from Wendy Nanney, a member of another prominent, well-connected political family. And Rep. Bob Leach, R-Greer, who hasn't had an opponent in years, has a well-organized, potentially well-funded primary foe in retired business executive William Wylie.
If there's a pattern in Greenville's filings, it crosses party lines.
Where there are primaries, they seem to, as expected, involve open seats, but also some of the delegation's more senior members are being challenged.
For example, Patrick Haddon, a 30-year-old Tabernacle Bible College graduate and landscaping company owner, is taking on Sen. Mike Fair, R-Greenville, a 23-year legislative veteran, in the District 6 primary. Haddon is also a Parker Fire and Sewer District commissioner who says he'll "bring much needed energy" to the seat.
Fair, 61, hasn't had an opponent since the 1990s.
Democratic Sen. Ralph Anderson, 80, a retired postmaster with 18 years in the Legislature, the last dozen in his Senate District 7 seat, has three primary opponents, Andrew Jones, Selden Peden and Lillian Brock Flemming, a Greenville City Council member. Waiting in the wings is Republican Roan Garcia-Quintana, who lives in the GOP-leaning Mauldin suburbs added to the district in the restructuring following the 2000 census.
Freshman Rep. Phil Shoopman, R-Greer, has a free pass to the Senate. First in line to announce for the Senate District 5 seat being vacated by retiring Lewis Vaughn, R-Greer, Shoopman escaped with neither primary nor general election opposition.
Two County Council primaries loom.
Bryan Haskins, Rep. Haskins' son, opposes Bob Taylor, whose daughter is challenging Gloria Haskins, in District 24's Republican primary. In District 18, Tony Trout will have to get by Steven Pruitt in the GOP primary if he's to win a second term and Republican Jim Burns has a District 21 primary with Brad Medcalf. No Democrats filed in those districts.
The Greenville News