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Article published Jan 31, 2005
Massachusetts governor courts S.C. with eye on
2008
ALEXANDER MORRISON
Staff
Writer
The road to the 2008 Republican presidential nomination
runs through Upstate South Carolina.At least that's what Massachusetts Gov. Mitt
Romney and several other leading Republicans appear to be counting on.A
political action committee founded by friends and supporters of the Republican
governor donated $43,000 to 57 state candidates and party organizations in the
run-up to the 2004 election, according to filings at the state Ethics
Commission.More than 40 percent of that money, donated by the Commonwealth PAC,
went to Upstate politicians and party organizations.While Romney has not
announced his intention to seek the presidential nomination, many have
speculated about his desire to run."Obviously the governor is looking at a
national run or he wouldn't have come down here," said state Republican Party
Chairman Katon Dawson. "If you're going to run for president, you'd better come
to South Carolina early and you'd better come often."Many consider Romney to be
a possible presidential contender because of his crossover appeal. Though a
Republican, he lives in the governor's mansion in what many consider the bluest
of the blue states.As Massachusetts governor, he has turned a huge state budget
deficit into a surplus without raising taxes. A devout Mormon, Romney has come
out against gay marriage. He also saved the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City
from scandal in 2002 as president of the organizing committee.Romney has focused
much of his political capital on South Carolina, which holds the first Southern
primary.State politicians and parties received more than a fifth of the
Commonwealth's nearly $200,000 political contributions, according to PAC
director Trent Wisecup.Politicians and parties in 16 other states, including
early presidential primary states New Hampshire, Iowa and Michigan, also
received donations from Commonwealth PAC, according to Wisecup.A Romney
spokesman said the governor supports the Commonwealth PAC but does not
participate in its donating decisions.Romney has been investing more than money
into a South Carolina political network. He is scheduled to speak at the
Spartanburg County Republican Party President's Day Banquet in February.A
spokesman from Romney's office said the governor is making the trip to talk
about reforming government.Sen. John Hawkins, R-Spartanburg, who received $500
from Commonwealth, said he was under the impression Romney is at least looking
at making a run for the nomination.Hawkins said he was far from joining Romney's
camp but said the donations have helped the governor's chances."It sure does
help me remember his name," Hawkins said.Romney appears to be mimicking
President Bush in a pre-primary strategy that emphasized South Carolina in the
2000.Bush came to the state after rival candidate John McCain dominated him with
a 19-point victory in New Hampshire.Victory in South Carolina returned Bush to
front-runner status and propelled him to victory.According to many state and
local party officials, Bush won because he cultivated a political base months
and years before the election."In Republican presidential politics, it is truly
a blood sport," Dawson said. "You've got to have some relationships when you get
into spirited contests."Bush and his family made several visits to South
Carolina and the Upstate well in advance of the 2000 primary. The then Texas
governor's father, for example, campaigned for Congressman Bob Inglis in
Spartanburg in August 1998."McCain wasn't bringing anything to the table," said
Rick Beltram, chairman of the Spartanburg County Republican Party.Dawson, then a
private businessman who supported Republican candidates, agreed. "(Bush) had
locked in support before we even knew McCain's name."Many can see a similar
scene playing out in the next presidential primary."It's very likely whoever
wins Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina -- at least two of those -- will be
the next nominee," said Barry Wynn, co-chairman of Bush's state fund-raising
efforts in 2004. "It would be very difficult to win this state without doing
pretty well in the Upstate."Commonwealth contributed to 23 Upstate Republican
candidates and county parties including state Sens. Harvey Peeler and Jim
Ritchie, unsuccessful state Senate candidate Steve Parker and state Rep. Lanny
Littlejohn.Still, donations to state-level candidates from presidential hopefuls
three years before a primary are uncommon."It's the earliest I've ever seen it,"
Dawson said.Beltram said it was a move Romney needed to make, assuming he
chooses to run. Beltram said the governor would have to work hard to overcome
the liberal Massachusetts stigma that has haunted other New England politicians
-- particularly in the more conservative Upstate.Beltram said there was quite a
bit of networking being done between Romney supporters and prominent South
Carolina Republicans at the presidential inauguration in Washington.For example,
Beltram out of the blue received an invitation to the Massachusetts state
ball.Others, however, warned not to read too much into Commonwealth PAC's
actions."You don't know for certain that that's what (Romney) is doing, but it
certainly couldn't hurt," said John Fotier, a research fellow at the
conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute."It's a good thing to do to
advance himself politically or for a run at the presidency."Wisecup also
downplayed Commonwealth's giving to South Carolina candidates."It's an effort to
build the party nationally," Wisecup said.Wisecup said the PAC tried to target
its giving to help Republicans in key races. The contribution limit is $1,000
per S.C. House or S.C. Senate candidate.Many of the 48 campaigns Commonwealth
PAC donated to, however, were not close. Some were uncontested.Romney is not the
only Republican said to be contemplating a presidential run to show interest in
South Carolina. Several even more prominent Republicans, including Senate
Majority Leader Bill Frist and former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, have also
cultivated South Carolinians.During the last campaign season, Frist gave the
state Republican Party a check for $10,000 and has contributed $15,000 to South
Carolina candidates for the U.S. House and Senate.Frist appeared in Columbia
just after the 2004 election to celebrate Jim DeMint's Senate victory.Frist also
gave $1,000 contributions to three Upstate state candidates: Speaker of the
House David Wilkins of Greenville, Speaker Pro Tem Doug Smith of Spartanburg and
Sen. Hawkins. The PAC also gave $1,000 to Richland County state Sen. John
Courson.Giuliani is scheduled to appear with Gov. Mark Sanford in Columbia at a
S.C. Hospital Association fundraiser for tsunami relief on Feb. 9.Republican
Party chairmen in Upstate counties are expecting to have events with many
presidential hopefuls in the coming year.Alexander Morrison can be reached at
562-7215 or alex.morrison@shj.com.