[Home] [Headlines] [Latest Articles] [Latest Comments] [Post] [Mail] [Sign-in] [Setup] [Help] [Register]
|
Status: Not Logged In; Sign In
United States News Title: GOP state Rep. Scott defeats Thurmond GOP state Rep. Scott defeats Thurmond By Robert Behre - The (Charleston) Post and Courier E-Mail State Rep. Tim Scott took a step toward history Tuesday night, handily locking up the Republican nomination for the 1st Congressional District. His 3-1 win over his former Charleston County Council colleague Paul Thurmond makes him likely to become the first black Republican to serve in Congress since J.C. Watts of Oklahoma retired six years ago. With all five counties reporting, Scott had won about 68 percent of the vote to Thurmond's 32 percent. In Horry and Georgetown counties, where Thurmond had garnered a lot of support from local candidates, Scott still won by a smaller margin with about 56 percent of the vote in both counties. Tim Scott greets friends Traci (back to camera) and Stacy Wiggins on Tuesday at the Hilton Garden Inn in North Charleston after he won a runoff election. Paul Thurmond | 21,706 Tim Scott | 46,885 Black SC Republican poised to go to Congress Voters in South Carolina nominated a black Republican lawmaker for an open congressional seat Tuesday, rejecting a legendary political name and adding diversity to the national party. State Rep. Tim Scott defeated Paul Thurmond, an attorney who is son of the one-time segregationist U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond. Scott, who won the runoff with 69 percent of the vote, is now poised to become the nation's first black GOP congressman since 2003. Scott, 44, owns an insurance business and became the first black Republican in the South Carolina Legislature in more than a century when elected two years ago. Before that, he served 13 years on Charleston County Council and was elected chairman four times. Black SC Republican poised to go to Congress Voters in South Carolina nominated a black Republican lawmaker for an open congressional seat Tuesday, rejecting a legendary political name and adding diversity to the national party. State Rep. Tim Scott defeated Paul Thurmond, an attorney who is son of the one-time segregationist U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond. Scott, who won the runoff with 69 percent of the vote, is now poised to become the nation's first black GOP congressman since 2003. Scott, 44, owns an insurance business and became the first black Republican in the South Carolina Legislature in more than a century when elected two years ago. Before that, he served 13 years on Charleston County Council and was elected chairman four times. Runoff players turn to Grand Strand; Thurmond, Scott downplay race questionsTim Scott finished with a roughly 2-1 edge over Paul Thurmond in the 1st Congressional District GOP primary, but a fresh start means a new battleground. With two weeks to go until the June 22 runoff, both men said they were planning to target the vote-rich Grand Strand - a now up-for-grabs region where each candidate hopes to increase his name identification beyond the collective home base of Charleston. On paper, shifting the battle northward for at least part of the next two weeks makes sense for both candidates since neither won in those areas up coastal U.S. 17. 1st District hopefuls face off on Strand The remaining candidates vying for the Republican nomination for the 1st Congressional District seat faced off Thursday night in a debate that looked at their opinions on Grand Strand issues and what sets them apart. State Rep. Tim Scott and Charleston County Councilman Paul Thurmond, who will compete in Tuesday's runoff election, participated in the debate sponsored by the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, the Myrtle Beach Area Hospitality Association and the Grand Strand Business Association. The winner Tuesday will face Democrat Ben Frasier and several candidates from other parties in the Nov. 2 election. The candidates, both from Charleston County, answered questions about how they would represent the Grand Strand and be a voice for the local community. SC primaries indicate changing state, GOP A woman of Indian descent nearly wins the South Carolina Republican gubernatorial nomination outright while a black Republican state lawmaker heads to a runoff after polling first in a coastal congressional district. This week's primary results in South Carolina indicate a Republican Party growing more diverse in a state that continues to distance a past rooted in the darkness of slavery and segregation. Republican state Rep. Nikki Haley, a daughter of Sikh immigrants, three-term state lawmaker and tea party favorite, overcame unproven allegations of infidelity and a racial slur leveled at her to almost capture the GOP nomination outright. If these unofficial results hold and Scott also wins on Nov. 2, he would become the first black Republican elected to Congress from the Deep South since Reconstruction. During their campaign, both Scott and Thurmond, whose late father had a record-setting Senate career that included early opposition to integration, played down the historical implications of their race. "This election is about our future as a country," Scott told his cheering supporters. "This election is about finding a way to bring us together so our country continues to lead the world on every front possible." Thurmond's father, Strom Thurmond, is remembered in part for his 1948 presidential bid as a segregationist "Dixiecrat" almost three decades before Paul Thurmond was born. Thurmond avoided interviews from national journalists exploring that angle. After the polls closed, Thurmond said any candidate who defeats eight others in an extended primary contest is legitimate. "It has nothing to do with their skin. It's about their ability to connect with the people," he said. Thurmond, 34, said of Scott, "If some bridges are torn down because of this, that's a great thing." Scott's big win is a bright spot for national Republicans trying to diversify their party. While Michael Steele, the first black to head the Republican National Committee, recruited 32 African-American candidates, most have lost or are expected to lose. Andy Sere, spokesman for the National Republican Campaign Committee, said Scott didn't bring his race into the campaign but instead stressed his conservative message. The NRCC remained neutral, but former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, former Alaska Gov. and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, and the Club for Growth lined up behind Scott. "There's been a lot of excitement about his candidacy, especially in the last two weeks, in the national Republican ranks," Sere said. Thurmond and Scott agreed on the need to lower spending, cut taxes and limit government's reach, but they disagreed on earmarks. Scott opposed them across the board, while Thurmond said he would fight for some, such as money for dredging Charleston Harbor. Scott was considered the favorite in Tuesday's runoff because he won 31 percent of the vote two weeks ago, while Thurmond netted 16 percent. About 14 percent of 1st District voters turned out Tuesday. That was about 12,000 fewer votes than the 80,845 cast in the nine-way contest June 8. Scott will take on perennial Democratic candidate Ben Frasier on Nov. 2. Other independent candidates on that ballot include Keith Blandford of the Libertarian party; Robert Dobbs of the Green party; M. E. Mac McCullough of the United Citizens party; and Jimmy Wood of the Independent party. The 1st District covers parts of Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester, Georgetown and Horry counties and has been in Republican hands since 1980. Read more: www.thesunnews.com/2010/0...urmond.html#ixzz0rgW2zvJJ
Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread |
|
[Home] [Headlines] [Latest Articles] [Latest Comments] [Post] [Mail] [Sign-in] [Setup] [Help] [Register]
|