GOP officer questions candidate's party loyalty

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Doug Wavle, the county's member of the state Republican Executive Committee, said former Democrat Tom Ervin "should be running in a primary against (Democrat Michelle Shain) to recapture the party he says left him."

Ervin, who served in the state House of Representatives as a Democrat from 1981 to 1984, said Friday he had "made it clear, I'm running as a Republican" with the credentials to back it up. He noted that Rep. Jim Merrill, R-Charleston, the House majority leader, is his campaign manager, and other Republicans are in his camp.

Ed Foulke, Greenville GOP chairman, said he takes Ervin at his word.

Foulke said the Democratic Party has moved far to the left and is much different philosophically than when Ervin was in the House.

Shain, a Greenville City Council member, is the only announced Democrat running for the seat of former House Speaker David Wilkins, R-Greenville, who resigned to become U.S. ambassador to Canada.

Wavle declined to address the Republican candidacy of a second self-identified former Democrat, William Herlong, a Greenville school trustee.

Because Herlong already has filed, Wavle said Thursday that top county party leaders are forbidden by party rules from commenting.

A third Republican, Bruce Bannister, has filed as a candidate, declaring himself a "lifelong" Republican.

Another, Warren Mowry, a former county chairman, will announce his candidacy Monday. Mowry heads the criminal justice department at Greenville Technical College.

He was an assistant solicitor in the 13th Judicial Circuit from 1982 to 1994.

Filing ends at noon Monday. DisenchantedAs to when he became a Republican, Ervin said he had become disenchanted with what he described as the Democratic Party's increasingly liberal bent, particularly its support for abortion rights and gay marriage.

He said he voted in the 2004 GOP primary and donated money to President Bush's re-election campaign.

"My values are more closely aligned with the Republican Party," Ervin said. He cited fiscal conservatism, "pro-life" views and opposition to gay marriage. His legislative experience and years as a circuit judge make him "the most qualified candidate," he said.

Of the four announced Republican candidates, only Ervin is listed on Federal Election Commission reports as a donor to Democratic candidates and committees.

The FEC's Web site shows that since 2002, Ervin has donated $6,000 to Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate and $28,750 to Democratic candidates and organizations.

The latter includes separate $10,000 donations to the state Democratic Party in August 2004 and February 2005.

Ervin said the figures "are not correct," that he's given more money to Republicans than Democrats.

He provided printouts from the Web site of the Institute on Money in State Politics.

They showed donations totaling $4,000 to four Republican legislative candidates in 2003-4 and $1,000 to two GOP legislative candidates and $4,000 to two statewide Democratic candidates 2000-01. 'Seen the light'In a letter, Ervin said, "I acknowledge that certain friendships resulted in contributions to the other side. I know that the GOP leadership appreciates that I've seen the light."

Ervin provided copies of letters from President Bush thanking him for donations and membership cards from the state Republican Party, the GOP's Presidential Victory Team and the Republican National Committee, of which he has been a sustaining member "for the past several years."

The FEC files showed that Herlong had given $7,150 and Mowry $4,450 to Republican candidates and committees since 2003.

There was no listing for Bannister.

Shain gave $7,000 to Democratic candidates and organizations, the FEC data showed.

Although Wavle said there is no mechanism to allow the party to reject a filing, he asked rhetorically, "Is it worth (a lawsuit)? If you've got the money to fight it, it's worth it. I don't."

Wavle decried what he said were Democrats seeking to capitalize on the GOP's success by running as Republicans.

"It's causing real conservative people to say, 'Phooey on the Republican Party' over all these moderates coming in," Wavle said. Vaughn worriesState Rep. Lewis Vaughn, R-Taylors, an ardent proponent of voter registration by party, declined to address the political pedigrees of Ervin and Herlong, but said, "You never strengthen anything by diluting it. Party registration would take care of a lot of this stuff."

Vaughn said if there is no Democratic primary, "you're going to see crossover voting (by Democrats) like you wouldn't believe, so you wind up with both (nominees) not being die-hard Republicans."

Katon Dawson, the state Republican chairman, said he couldn't comment on primary candidates, but expressed confidence "that Republicans in House District 24 will pick a solid Republican to represent them."

Primaries expose candidates' records, ideals and what they stand for, Dawson said.

"That's why we have them. Most of the time Democrats come into Republican primaries in sheep's clothing, they go back home a loser."

Also, on Friday, Herlong cited the abbreviated campaign schedule and asked his primary opponents to participate in a debate to be sponsored by one or more party organizations. Mowry said he was agreeable.

Bannister and Ervin could not be reached for comment.

The primary will be Aug. 16 and runoffs, if necessary, Aug. 30. The special election will be Oct. 4. Dan Hoover covers politics and can be reached at 298-4883.