Case-Hipp council race tops Greenville primary ballot

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Although it involves less than 10 percent of the county's population, the Republican contest between council Vice Chairman Scott Case and corporate executive Hayne Hipp for the District 20 seat has eclipsed virtually all other contests.

With no Democrat on the November ballot, the primary will determine which man wins the seat.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. for Democratic and Republican party voters who have U.S. Senate, 4th Congressional District, legislative and other County Council nominations to decide.

The National Weather Service forecast calls for temperatures in the upper 80s with a chance of scattered afternoon thundershowers.

Statewide turnout among Republicans has been projected as low to moderate by state GOP Chairman Katon Dawson who expects fewer than 300,000 voters. Voting in Greenville County, because of the Case-Hipp primary, could be proportionately higher.

Democrats, with fewer high-profile contests, are expected in smaller numbers.

The featured contest statewide is the six-way Republican U.S. Senate primary between former Gov. David Beasley, 47, of Darlington; former Attorney General Charlie Condon, 51, of Sullivans Island; Bluffton businesswoman Orly Benny Davis, 41; U.S. Rep. Jim DeMint, 51, of Greenville; Myrtle Beach Mayor Mark McBride, 40; and Charleston developer Thomas Ravenel, 41.

On the Democratic side, Inez Tenenbaum, 53, the state's education superintendent, is expected to easily brush aside perennial candidate Ben Frasier of Wadmalaw.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Ernest F. Hollings, 82, of Charleston is retiring after 38 years in Washington.

The major Republican senatorial candidates made their closing pitches Monday.

DeMint worked the breakfast crowd at a local eatery, then flew to appearances in Rock Hill, Aiken, Bluffton, Florence and Myrtle Beach.

Beasley stopped in Greenville, Columbia and Spartanburg before ending the day with door-to-door campaigning in Florence.

Ravenel campaigned in his hometown of Charleston, and Condon ended his statewide bus tour there at Patriots' Point.

Tonight, Tenenbaum will hold her expected victory party at Meador's Sandwich Co. on South Main Street in Greenville, and DeMint will be at Fatz's Cafe, 91 Halton Road.

Beasley is scheduled to have his primary night event at the Clarion Town House in Columbia, and Ravenel and Condon will be at Charleston restaurants.

The Senate campaign has been marked by combined record spending of more than $10 million, much of it for television ads, but little of the traditional shoe leather and handshaking that once dominated South Carolina campaigning.

Richard Letteri, a professor of political communication at Furman University, said democracy "pays too high a price" for campaigns largely limited to broadcast ads and staged events to allow candidates time to raise the enormous sums to finance those commercials.

"Sadly, political campaigns have limited grassroots, or retail, politics to Iowa and New Hampshire while the rest of the United States is left to learn about political candidates from Web sites, television commercials and prerecorded phone calls," he said.

Other primaries include:

* Republican 4th Congressional District: Candidates include Greenville retiree Jack Adams, 69; former Congressman Bob Inglis, 44, of Travelers Rest; Carole Wells, 60, of Spartanburg, a member of the State Employment Security Commission.

* Democratic 4th District: Candidates include Brandon Brown, 28, a Greenville funeral home executive; and Andrew Wittman, 37, a Taylors businessman.

* Democratic state Senate District 7: Candidates include incumbent Ralph Anderson, 76, and Debra Gammons, an assistant Greenville city attorney.

* Republican County Council District 18: Candidates include incumbent Steve Selby, 61; Tony Trout, 48, owner of a security firm; and Perry Williams, 43, president of a textile consulting company.

* Republican County Council District 21: Candidates include incumbent council Chairwoman Phyllis Henderson, 44, and Jim Burns, 34, an operations manager for Jacobs-Sirrine.

* Republican County Council District 22: Candidates include incumbent Bob Taylor, 64, and Bill Browning, 55, an Air force veteran and postal worker.

* Republican County Council District 27: Candidates include incumbent Dozier Brooks, 69, and Butch Kirven, a real estate appraiser and consultant.

* Republican Register of Deed, Tim Nanney, 41, a customer service supervisor for Verizon; John Bell, 65, a self-employed electrician; and Warren Rollins, 53, Greenville County deputy auditor.

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Dan Hoover covers politics and can be reached at 298-4883.