Coble, Tenenbaum to vie for nomination

Two prominent Democrats -- state Superintendent of Education Inez Tenenbaum and Columbia Mayor Bob Coble -- jumped into the race for the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, guaranteeing an unexpectedly lively contest within the party.

Tenenbaum, 52, and Coble, 50, are two of the strongest candidates South Carolina Democrats have to offer, Republicans and Democrats said Wednesday.

Democrats are billing the matchup as a party strengthening exercise, one that will increase their chances of winning a U.S. Senate seat in 2004.

U.S. Sen. Fritz Hollings, D-S.C., who has held the seat since 1966, announced last week that he would not run for a seventh full term.

"Inez Tenenbaum is a proven, independent voice for her state and will put South Carolina's needs first," said Michael Siegel, spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. "Bob Coble's addition to this race is one that serves to strengthen the Democratic message.

"If Republicans think they have a lock on South Carolina, think again."

Republicans in this GOP-leaning state describe a Tenenbaum-Coble primary as a chance for two Democratic heavyweights from the same part of the state to sap each other's strength.

State Republican Party chairman Katon Dawson said Democrats are disorganized, in that many had hoped for a unified front behind Tenenbaum. In 2002, she won more votes statewide than U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and Gov. Mark Sanford, both Republicans.

Coble has never run statewide.

"The Democrats are starting from scratch," said Dan Allen, spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. "It looks as if they might have a pretty bloody primary."

But Democratic prospects are looking up since November, when the party was trounced by Republicans, losing races for the U.S. Senate, the governor's office and six of eight other statewide offices.

It was tough enough for the Democrats to find a candidate to run against Graham in 2002. Democratic nominee Alex Sanders, who would go on to lose by 10 percentage points, used to joke he was the party's ninth choice.

After Sanders' loss, many Democrats wondered who -- without Hollings -- the party could get to run for Senate in 2004. Had the party lost its grip in South Carolina for good?

Now, with Tenenbaum and Coble in the race, the future looks brighter, said S.C. Democratic Party chairman Joe Erwin.

"We needed to get back on our horse, and we're doing that," he said. "And part of what it takes is good men and women running for office."

Clemson University political science professor Bruce Ransom said the Democrats would have preferred one, as opposed to multiple, candidates.

"If it can unite behind a single candidate, it means you have a unified party," Ransom said. "It means you don't have the expenses of a primary. It means you can focus on the general election, and it puts you in a stronger position for that election."

The more obvious choice for the Democrats, he said, is Tenenbaum, since she is a proven statewide winner and Coble is not.

But both candidates are seasoned on the campaign trail, drawing on a strong base in the Midlands. Tenenbaum has already begun hiring campaign staff. Coble is interviewing potential staffers and will begin polling next week.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, charged with electing as many senators from the party as possible, has conducted polls showing Tenenbaum would easily beat three Republicans who are running: U.S. Rep. Jim DeMint of Greenville, Charleston developer Thomas Ravenel and former Attorney General Charlie Condon of Charleston.

"Polls don't determine who is a great Senate candidate, and it's her pollster," Coble said.

Tenenbaum said she would formally announce her candidacy within the next two weeks.

Coble plans a formal announcement after Labor Day.

Wednesday's informal announcements took many political observers by surprise and came about in an unusual way.

Tenenbaum's husband, retired businessman Samuel Tenenbaum, sent out dozens of e-mails to friends and colleagues Tuesday night informing them that his wife would run. Tenenbaum said she did not know her husband had made the announcement by e-mail.

Coble declared his intention to run after he was asked by a reporter to comment on Tenenbaum's announcement.