Hopefuls release financial reports

COLUMBIA — Candidates for governor began releasing first glimpses at their campaign finance reports Thursday as they vie to replace Gov. Mark Sanford.

Republican State Rep. Nikki Haley said Thursday she'll report raising more than $211,000 in her first campaign finance report. She's spent $12,616 and has a paid staff of three.

Two Democrats also released their reports. Charleston lawyer Mullins McLeod said he's raised $168,845 and state Sen. Vincent Sheheen of Camden has raised nearly $225,000, bringing his total to more than $500,000 for the campaign.

Democrats have their most crowded field in years as Sanford wraps up his second and final term. Sen. Robert Ford and pastor Amos Elliott, both of Charleston, also have announced bids.

Meanwhile, the GOP field is filling, too, with U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett, state Sen. Larry Grooms, R-Bonneau, and Furman University political scientist Brent Nelsen already announced. Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer and Attorney General Henry McMaster are expected to announce plans later.

Sanford's affair with a woman from Argentina has become a huge issue for Republicans during the last two weeks. On Monday the state GOP voted to censure Sanford, although some wanted him to resign. Haley said the effect on campaigns isn't clear for now.

"I don't think that we'll know for a couple more weeks what the hit was. I mean I really still feel very much like the dust is still in the air. I can tell you from a fundraising standpoint, I didn't feel it," Haley said.

Some Republicans fear Sanford's resignation would give Bauer an advantage in the 2010 race for governor if he were to serve out the balance of the governor's term. Sanford has said he won't resign.

The governor has been a key ally for Haley as she pushes what she calls a reform agenda in the Legislature.

But after Sanford confessed the affair, Haley removed Sanford's picture from her campaign Web site.

She said that would have happened even if Sanford's problems hadn't become known. "The picture was coming off of the Web site anyway because I didn't like when you got on the Web site it was the first thing you saw," Haley said. "I've always wanted this campaign to be about me."

Sanford's support of her ideas about open government and reform has been important, she noted.

Still, "he never defined the campaign to start with. I'm going to make sure I define the fact that the strength of the reform movement goes on from here," Haley said.