(Columbia) Oct. 27, 2004 - Democratic businessman Joel Lourie is taking on Republican attorney Ken Wingate for the Senate seat in District 22 and both have big endorsements.

Governor Mark Sanford is endorsing Wingate and Richland County Solicitor Barney Giese, a Republican, is endorsing Lourie.

Both candidates have a lot of support, but with less than a week to go until election day, now there's a new controversy brewing over other endorsements. According to Wingate's website, the State Chamber of Commerce and South Carolina Medical Association endorse him.

Wingate even talked about it on Newswatch, which airs Sundays at 10:00am.

WIS News 10 spoke with both groups and they say they support candidates with money, but don't endorse anyone.

Lourie says it's misleading of Wingate, "I think that they are an unfortunate attempt to mislead people into thinking he's received endorsements he in fact has not received."

Both organizations gave Wingate money for his campaign, but as he notes, the chamber gave Lourie money, but not nearly as much, "The fact that Mr. Lourie doesn't like that, I'm sorry for, but I have received their unequivocal maximum support, and it's going to stay that way."

Lourie isn't buying the explanation, "I think he should issue an official retraction saying that he was wrong and that these endorsements did not take place."

Wingate says the issue will be decided November 2nd, "I'm not trying to play semantics. I'll be glad to let the voters decide. Again, if these organizations have given me the maximum financial support they can lawfully give then to me, that's a pretty ringing endorsement."

It's another issue in a heated campaign.

By Jennifer Miskewicz
Posted 6:23pm by BrettWitt