According to this story, U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina) is about to resign from the Senate. The Governor will appoint a replacement, and then a special U.S. Senate election for this seat will be held in November 2014. The state’s other seat is up in 2014, so the voters will vote on both Senate seats at that time.
If recent history is any teacher, then the South Carolina Democratic Party will have a difficult time recruiting and running two Senatorial candidates at the same time. This is an opportunity for the Green Party. Possibly also for the Libertarians, depending on how socially conservative Haley’s choice proves to be.
@scott west
Don’t forget Working Family Party or Constitution Party as well. Let folks in South Carolina have many choices.
Ok, the Constitution Party could nominate somone. I don’t think they will because whoever Haley appoints and whoever wins the GOP nomination in 2014 will easily be as socially conservative as DeMint. They might run against Graham, though.
The Working Families Party will seek to endorse whomever the Democratic Party nominates.
Can someone please guide me on South Carolina fusion voting? Is it true that a candidate, who files for the nomination of a major party and minor party for example, if it doesn’t win the nomination of the major party, it can’t get the nomination of the minor party??
#4, that’s right. South Carolina has fusion but if a candidate tries for the nomination of two parties, he or she can’t run without gaining the nomination of both parties. This rule naturally inhibits people from trying to be fusion candidates, especially if one of the parties is a major party that nominates by primary.
#5-Then what would you call this type of fusion. In NY, a candidate runs on lines, but each line has no affect on the others. The candidate needs the approval of the other party’s, other then his registered party, and of cource get the required number of petition signatures to get into each party’s primary, if more then one candidate is running in the party primary.
South Carolina needs choices. Not hack Repubs and crony Dems.
I agree with Scott that WFP is overwhelmingly likely to cross-endorse the Democrat when the seat comes up electorally two years out. SC WFP has, however, run one race independent of the Democrats, a nominee for the U.S. House SC 1st dist. in 2010.
Eugene Platt got caught that vice Derek and Richard are referring to several years ago. He sought the Green nomination for a state House seat, in 2010 as I recall. He received it easily, but was denied the Green position on the ballot because of his failure to win in his contest in the Democratic primary. Platt is planning to run again in 2014. Recently reelected to a local position on James Island, near Charleston, he is the only elected SC Green officeholder currently.
Tim Scott may be Nikki Haley’s choice to succeed DeMint.
I just interviewed South Carolina MSP Larry Carter Center [Fusion Green Democratic Labor WF UCP NAP] livestream from South Carolina about DeMint [Republican] on the All Party System’s Cannery Row Show.
Larry said that DeMint is a corrupt politician. He says the “real” Boston Tea Party isn’t like DeMint at all.
Here’s the link and the audio will be up soon too on the parliament’s “Day to Day Update” page as soon as it’s edited. I’m still working out some bugs. I know…live stream has no audio:
http://www.justin.tv/allpartysystem/b/345889096
Paging Constitution Party presidential candidate Robby Wells, who is from SC. Coach Robby wants to run for president in 2016 and a U.S. Senate run would be excellent visibility for him.
I thought Wells was claiming to be a Libertarian now?
Robby Wells was a Reform Party candidate in 2011, then sought the Constitution Party’s presidential nomination in April this year. Now he is campaigning as an Independent for the 2016 presidential race, but is courting Libertarian-minded Ron Paul supporters.