Race for governor already in swing

The political race to see who will become South Carolina's next governor has entered its initial, hushed phase, though the election itself is almost three years away.

No one has officially declared, but many of the state's prominent politicians say they are getting a lot of encouragement to consider a bid.

Many potential candidates are looking to see who will join the race and who won't. Some are weighing family considerations and how the decision to run would affect their current jobs. Others are seeing what sort of support they can get for a race that might cost $8 million or more.

The need to raise a huge pile of cash shouldn't be underestimated, political science professor Dave Woodard of Clemson University said.

"It's all about the Benjamins, baby," he said. "Let's face it. I'm pretty sure the main thing (potential candidates are doing now) is lining up people to be fundraisers, to be on their statewide fundraising committee."

Much of the money raised during this, which Woodard calls "the Great Name Floating Stage," is going into candidates' existing re-election accounts. If they opt to run for governor, they can ask past supporters if they can use their money for that race.

The filing won't open for more than two years, but many expect that a crowd will emerge to run for an office that current Gov. Mark Sanford will have held for eight years.

The race won't kick into the next gear until after November's election, unless Sanford is tapped as a vice presidentialrunning mate. Then, all bets are off.

During the past week, The Post and Courier tried to contact more than a dozen potential candidates. Some didn't return calls.

But others were happy to talk, and here's what they had to say:

Joe Erwin

Greenville advertising executive Joe Erwin hasn't held elected office before, but he's no political novice, having served four years as chairman of the State Democratic Party. He stepped down last year.

"A lot of people have talked to me about it, including some very thoughtful people with experience with politics and government in this state," Erwin said of his possible bid. "Out of respect, I'm listening and considering it, but it is awfully early. I really haven't made a decision one way or the other."

Erwin said he would base his decision partly on who else emerges —and what his family thinks.

"I'm a CEO, and the governor's job really is a CEO-type job," he said. "But it's not just about running for a job. It's really believing that if I were to run that I could be the best person qualified to hold the job."

Joel Lourie

Columbia businessman Joel Lourie is finishing his first term in the state Senate and has made headlines for his efforts to regulate the state's child care industry and to curb underage drinking.

Asked about his interest in the state's top job, he said, "I'm flattered that my name is being mentioned, but right now, my focus is on doing my job as a state senator." The only thing Lourie can say for certain about any campaign at this point "is that I am a candidate for re-election to the state senate. My crystal ball goes no further than November."

Inez Tenenbaum

Inez Tenenbaum is accustomed to statewide campaigns. She won two terms for S.C. Superintendent of Education, and she also ran for the U.S. Senate, losing to Republican Sen. Jim DeMint in 2004.

Tenenbaum opted not to run for governor against Sanford in 2006, but she might the next time around.

"Many people have encouraged me to look at running, to look at the gubernatorial race for 2010," she said. "However, it's a long way off, and right now I'm very much focused on the presidential election and helping (Democratic presidential hopeful) Barack Obama win the presidency.

"But I haven't closed that door and really haven't opened it at this point. I'm just focused right now on the presidential election but I'm getting encouragement from party leaders and people around the state."

Gresham Barrett

The only Congressman rumored to be interested is 3rd District Rep. Gresham Barrett, who won the house seat vacated when Lindsey Graham won election to the U.S. Senate.

Barrett, a former small businessman, declined to talk for this story, but his press secretary Brecke Latham released a statement saying, "Congressman Barrett is humbled that his name is mentioned when discussing the 2010 gubernatorial election.

"However, he is up for re-election this November and right now his focus remains on representing the people of the 3rd District and the issues important to them."

Andre Bauer

Andre Bauer has been lieutenant governor as long as Sanford has been governor, and Bauer said he wouldn't rule out running for the top job.

His re-election in 2006 came despite tough opposition from both parties and his lingering injuries from a lightweight airplane crash that limited his ability to get around.

"Most of the time I think about it is when somebody else brings it up. But you know, it's amazing the enormous change that's been allowed to happen. Two years ago people gave me another opportunity to be their lieutenant governor and now to even be thought of on the short list for governor is very flattering," he said.

Bauer said he thinks talk about his possible candidacy is a reflection on how he has run the Office on Aging. He will wait until later to decide but said his decision won't be based on who else is out there.

"If I thought I was prepared to jump into the race, I'd run regardless of who was running," he said.

Bobby Harrell

S.C. Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell already has been campaigning extensively around the state in recent years, first for his Republican Statehouse colleagues and then for Republican presidential hopeful Arizona Sen. John McCain. The next campaign could be his own.

The Charleston businessman said he would base his decision on whether he thought he could do more to advance the state's economy, incomes and standards of living.

Harrell said he isn't sure whether he can accomplish those goals better by trying to remain speaker or by getting elected governor. He also said he would consult with his family and look at the potential field before making a final decision.

"The first decision has to be whether I think it's the right thing for me to do or not. Then, you have to look at the political considerations," he said.

He said he also expects a lot of people will look at running, "but when you start looking at the amount of money that needs to be raised to do it, that will thin the field pretty quickly."

Henry McMaster

S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster also campaigned for McCain extensively during the past year, and McMaster said he's "very interested" in the governor's race.

"I've heard a lot of names," he said, "but I haven't talked to any of them to ask them what their intentions are."

He said he would base his decision partly on the work that he felt needed to be done in the Attorney General's Office, where he has served since 2003, and the work that needs to be done in the Governor's Office.

McMaster said he couldn't say when he would need to decide whether to run, but added, "It's usually best to start early because there's a lot of work that's involved."

David Wilkins

David Wilkins served as the S.C. speaker of the house for years before President Bush appointed him to his current post as the U.S. Ambassador to Canada in 2005.

But Ottawa is not far enough from South Carolina to keep this state's political talk from following him there. "Over the last couple of years, I've had a number of people mention to it to me, sure," the former Greenville lawyer said. "I'm awfully flattered by that interest."

"Right now I'm totally focused on this," he added. "My plan is to stay focused on this job and be the best ambassador I can be. I'll come back to South Carolina in January '09, and we'll go from there."

Reach Robert Behre at rbehre@postandcourier.com or 937-5771.