GREENVILLE - Republicans have a candidate for every statewide office in the June 13 primary, but Democrats haven't fielded candidates for four of those nine offices as campaign filing season opens on March 16.

Democrats have just one incumbent on that ballot: State Treasurer Grady Patterson, who at 82 is his party's top candidate.

The lack of Democratic challengers leaves Republicans in a position of having contested primaries that can build party interest and donations.

Republicans have 19 candidates, including multiple candidates in statewide races for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer, education superintendent and agriculture commissioner.

Democrats have nine candidates, but only two primaries with multiple candidates - three each for governor and education superintendent.

Scott Malyerck, the South Carolina Republican Party's executive director, said his candidate field shows his party's vitality.

"The numbers support the fact that this is a more Republican state than Democratic state," state Democratic Party Chairman Joe Erwin said. "Absolutely, recruiting is harder."

With the political pendulum swinging to the GOP, candidates know going in that "at a mini-mum, it's minus 8 percentage points, some say more. It makes recruiting a challenge," Erwin said.

Erwin says what is important "at the end of the day is there are nine offices and nine candidates capable of winning. My goal is for us to have a full lineup of candidates, whether or not you have multiple primaries."

That means finding candidates for the offices of secretary of state, attorney general, comptroller general and adjutant general before filing closes on March 30.

The longest shot in reaching that goal remains finding a candidate to run against Attorney General Henry McMaster, a former state Republican Party chairman.

"Most people believe Henry's done a good enough job in the office," Erwin said, "and politically that he would be very difficult to beat."

Democrats today are in the same underdog position Republicans were three or four decades ago, said John Simpkins, a professor at the Charleston School of Law and former political science professor at Furman.

GOP incumbency and the money, influence and name recognition it brings make it harder for Democratic challengers.

Losing incumbent Inez Tenenbaum, who decided she won't seek a third term as education superintendent, hasn't helped Democrats on that score either.

The state Democratic Party "hasn't developed a strong bench from which to draw candidates," Simpkins said.

"Also, there's no coordinated strategy to identify and cultivate new candidates by getting them up to speed on the issues, introducing them to potential donors, and getting them greater exposure throughout the state," Simpkins said.

And there's not a good deal of money either.

Federal Election Commission reports for the quarter ending Jan. 31, the most recent available, show the state Democratic Party had $10,108 available. Republicans had $206,771.

Although entering the races in March "is not absolutely fatal, it makes the race an uphill climb for the latecomer," Simpkins said. "Any candidate who has to work on raising money and introducing himself or herself to voters is going to have a hard time accomplishing both in the span of just a few months."

 

On the ticket

With primary filing deadlines approaching, the field of candidates for statewide offices is beginning to firm. And it is showing Democrats without primary contests for four top statewide offices.

Governor

Democrat: Ken Holland, Tommy Moore and Frank Willis

Republican: Oscar Lovelace and Mark Sanford (incumbent)

Lieutenant governor

Democrat: Robert Barber

Republican: Andre Bauer (incumbent) and Mike Campbell

Secretary of state

Democrat: None

Republican: L.W. Flynn and Mark Hammond (incumbent)

Treasurer

Democrat: Grady Patterson (incumbent)

Republican: Greg Ryberg, Rick Quinn and Jeff Willis

Attorney general

Democrat: None

Republican: Henry McMaster (incumbent)

Comptroller general

Democrat: None

Republican: Richard Eckstrom (incumbent)

Education superintendent

Democrat: Edward Murray, Jim Rex and Cecil Taliaferro

Republican: Karen Floyd, Elizabeth Moffly, Mike Ryan, Bob Staton and Kerry Wood

Adjutant general

Democrat: None

Republican: Stan Spears (incumbent)

Agriculture commissioner

Democrat: Emile DeFelice

Republican: William Bell, Hugh Weathers (incumbent)