Republican State Senator Jake Knotts is mulling over whether to be an independent candidate for Governor. He needs 10,000 valid signatures by July 17. If he qualifies, he will be the first independent candidate for Governor in the history of government-printed ballots in South Carolina. South Carolina has only been using government-printed ballots since 1950.
Other states that have never had an independent candidate on a government-printed ballot, for Governor, are Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico and North Carolina.
I heard a bit of an interview with Senator Knox on WVOC Radio being interviewed by Kevin Cohen. He said that he does plan to go forward with an independent bid. He said he wants the people of South Carolina to have a choice. With seven parties already on the ballot, it’s difficult to say that my state’s voters don’t have alternatives available. Had Senator Knox asked, I feel sure one or more of the smaller parties would have placed him on the ballot.
That said, he seems dedicated to the plan, and should have enough resources to get on the ballot in Nov. If he misses the mark it will be by design, and he was never serious. The requirement, 10,000 signatures, is low enough to be met with relative ease by someone with access to Senator Knox’s resources.