SC 1st Congressional District Race Heats Up

By Paul Gable

The race for the Republican nomination for the SC 1^st Congressional District is heating up as the first round of primary voting approaches quickly.

A new ad hitting political newcomer Teddy Turner hard is making its way around television and the internet. The ad attacks Turner’s business failures and political agenda. It was paid for by the Chip Limehouse campaign.

View ad here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfTDTGODe68

The battle between 15 of the 16 Republican candidates is for second place and a chance at strong front runner Mark Sanford in a primary runoff.

According to polling results we are hearing of, Sanford leads as the choice of approximately 35 percent of the voters polled.

Turner appears the current leader for the second position with approximately 14 percent of the vote. Some polls reportedly have attorney Curtis Bostic in third place just behind Turner, but others do not give him such a high percentage.

Sen. Larry Grooms has been gaining slightly in the past 10 days and may now be in double figures. But, is Grooms really the strong conservative he presents himself to be? It’s hard to see how a candidate who advocates limited government and personal freedom can also justify federal government intrusion into the institution of marriage. That is certainly an issue best left to the individual states.

Where is John C. Calhoun’s legacy when you need it?

Limehouse, former Sen. John Kuhn Charleston County school board member Elizabeth Moffly, the only woman in the race, appear to currently be in the middle single digits with the remaining candidates trailing.

Moffly has her own ad on television and making the You Tube rounds in which she hits six of the upper tier candidates for being “Good Ol’ Boys”. View here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMnsu_rFy8o&feature=youtu.be&a

Sanford appears a shoo-in for a runoff with any of the above remaining to challenge him, although it will be interesting to see if Turner’s money can hold off the questioning of his background for a few more days.

Voting is Tuesday March 19^th.