Donations already rolling in
Some of South Carolina's 2010 gubernatorial hopefuls are off to an impressive start raising money. Two of them, S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster and U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett, both Republicans, already have topped the $1 million mark.
Others, including Charleston lawyer Mullins McLeod, have not even begun.
McLeod said Friday he is considering seeking the Democratic nomination for governor but remains in the "due diligence period."
"The reason I am considering it is because I think people in South Carolina have paid taxes and have voted for a long time and don't have much to show for it," he said.
McLeod would be the third Charleston figure to take steps toward the race. State Sen. Robert Ford, D-Charleston, reported that he has raised $3,550, largely from doctors and medical sources. The S.C. Orthopedic Association Bone political action committee gave him the most, $1,000.
Six other donors described as "vision professionals" contributed another $500 to Ford.
Ford's fundraising is dwarfed by the $278,016 raised by Democratic rival state Sen. Vincent Sheheen, who has raised more from the Lowcountry legal community than Ford has raised total. Many of Sheheen's donors live in and around his Camden Senate district.
On the Republican side, Barrett has raised more than $371,000 in three weeks since announcing his bid, and has more than $1 million in all his campaign accounts.
Barrett's adviser Jim Dyke said Barrett's fundraising success is "a sign that he is right on the issues. In the weeks ahead, our campaign will continue to build on this early momentum."
Unlike Barrett, McMaster has expressed interest in running but has not declared for governor.
Still, his office said he has more than $1 million in campaign cash on hand.
Furman University professor Brent Nelson has raised $9,578 toward his bid, while another possible GOP candidate, Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, has not formed a gubernatorial campaign that filed initial paperwork with the S.C. Ethics Commission, an early step toward running.
