South Carolina gubernatorial election, 2010
Encyclopedia
The 2010 South Carolina gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2010. Incumbent Republican
Governor
Mark Sanford
was term limited
and unable to seek re-election. Primary election
s took place on June 8, 2010 and a runoff election
, as was necessary on the Republican side, was held two weeks later on June 22. This was the first open gubernatorial election in South Carolina since 1994.
The Republican candidate Nikki Haley
defeated the Democratic candidate Vincent Sheheen, in the general election.
Green Party
Working Families Party
Representative Nikki Haley-- National Rifle Association
Representative Nikki Haley-- South Citizens for Life
Sponsored by the Republican Parties of Newberry and Laurens Counties
Aired on WIS-TV
on September 22, 2009
Watch here
Sponsored by the SC Natural Resources Society
Aired on SCETV
on November 3, 2009
(This debate marked the first time in state history that gubernatorial primary candidates from both parties participated in the same debate.)
Watch here
Sponsored by the South Carolina Republican Party
Moderated by MSNBC
hosts Joe Scarborough
and Mika Brzezinski
Aired on WCSC-TV
on January 28, 2010
Watch here
Debates
Official campaign websites
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Governor
Governor of South Carolina
The Governor of the State of South Carolina is the head of state for the State of South Carolina. Under the South Carolina Constitution, the Governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the South Carolina executive branch. The Governor is the ex officio...
Mark Sanford
Mark Sanford
Marshall Clement "Mark" Sanford Jr. is an American politician from South Carolina, who was the 115th Governor of South Carolina from 2003 to 2011....
was term limited
Term limits in the United States
Term limits in the United States apply to many offices at both the federal and state level, and date back to the American Revolution.-Pre-constitution:...
and unable to seek re-election. Primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
s took place on June 8, 2010 and a runoff election
Two-round system
The two-round system is a voting system used to elect a single winner where the voter casts a single vote for their chosen candidate...
, as was necessary on the Republican side, was held two weeks later on June 22. This was the first open gubernatorial election in South Carolina since 1994.
The Republican candidate Nikki Haley
Nikki Haley
Nimrata Nikki Randhawa Haley is the 116th and current Governor of South Carolina. A member of the Republican Party, Haley represented Lexington County in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 2005 to 2010....
defeated the Democratic candidate Vincent Sheheen, in the general election.
Candidates
- Robert FordRobert Ford (politician)Robert Ford is an American politician who served as a Democratic member of the South Carolina Senate since 1993, representing District 42, which is located in Charleston...
, State SenatorSouth Carolina SenateThe South Carolina Senate is the upper house of the South Carolina General Assembly, the lower house being the South Carolina House of Representatives...
from CharlestonCharleston, South CarolinaCharleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the... - Jim RexJim RexJim Rex was the 16th South Carolina Superintendent of Education. He ran for the position in 2006 as a Democrat, against Karen Floyd, a Republican. Rex defeated Floyd by only 455 votes, the closest margin of victory in a statewide election in South Carolina's history...
, State Superintendent of EducationSuperintendent (education)In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....
from Fairfield County - Vincent Sheheen, State SenatorSouth Carolina SenateThe South Carolina Senate is the upper house of the South Carolina General Assembly, the lower house being the South Carolina House of Representatives...
from CamdenCamden, South CarolinaCamden is the fourth oldest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina and is also the county seat of Kershaw County, South Carolina, United States. The population was an estimated 7,103 in 2009...
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Jim Rex |
Vincent Sheheen |
Robert Ford |
Dwight Drake* |
Other | Unde- cided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling (report) | June 5, 2010 | 410 | ± 4.8% | 40% | 46% | 21% | -- | -- | 23% |
| Public Policy Polling (report) | May 22–23, 2010 | 410 | ± 4.8% | 30% | 36% | 11% | -- | -- | 23% |
| Rasmussen Reports (report) | May 17, 2010 | 404 | ± 5.0% | 22% | 30% | 4% | -- | 12% | 32% |
| Rasmussen Reports (report) | March 3, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 16% | 16% | 12% | 5% | 15% | 37% |
- as of March 5, 2010 Dwight Drake withdrew from the race for Governor.
Results
Candidates
- Gresham Barrett, U.S. CongressmanSouth Carolina's 3rd congressional districtThe 3rd Congressional District of South Carolina is a congressional district in western South Carolina bordering both Georgia and North Carolina. It includes all of Abbeville, Anderson, Edgefield, Greenwood, Laurens, McCormick, Oconee, Pickens and Saluda counties and approximately half of Aiken...
- André BauerAndré BauerRudolph Andreas "André" Bauer was the 87th Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina from 2003 to 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party...
, Lieutenant Governor - Nikki HaleyNikki HaleyNimrata Nikki Randhawa Haley is the 116th and current Governor of South Carolina. A member of the Republican Party, Haley represented Lexington County in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 2005 to 2010....
, State RepresentativeSouth Carolina House of RepresentativesThe South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly, the upper house being the South Carolina Senate. It consists of 124 Representatives elected to two year terms at the same time as US Congressional elections... - Henry McMasterHenry McMasterHenry Dargan McMaster is South Carolina's Republican attorney general, having been first elected on November 5, 2002. He was a unsuccessful candidate for the GOP nomination in the 2010 South Carolina gubernatorial election.- Biography :McMaster received a bachelor's degree in history from the...
, State Attorney GeneralAttorney GeneralIn most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
Nikki Haley
- Former Governor Mitt RomneyMitt RomneyWillard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
(R-MA), former presidential candidate for 2008 Republican nomination - Former Governor Sarah PalinSarah PalinSarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
(R-AK), former Republican Vice Presidential candidate - Former First Lady of South Carolina Jenny SanfordJenny SanfordJennifer Sullivan Sanford is the former First Lady of South Carolina, heiress, and former investment banker.She was married to Governor Mark Sanford, whose initial campaigns she substantially funded...
- Republican Liberty CaucusRepublican Liberty CaucusThe Republican Liberty Caucus is a political action organization dedicated to promoting the ideals of individual liberty, limited government and free market economics within the Republican Party in the United States. It is part of the libertarian wing of the Republican Party...
Henry McMaster
- Former Mayor of New York Rudy GiulianiRudy GiulianiRudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
(R-NY), former presidential candidate for 2008 Republican Nomination - Senator John McCainJohn McCainJohn Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
(R-AZ), former candidate for 2008 Presidential Election - Former Governor David BeasleyDavid BeasleyDavid Muldrow Beasley is a Republican who served one term as the 113th Governor of South Carolina from 1995 until 1999....
(R-SC)
Andre Bauer
- Former Governor Mike HuckabeeMike HuckabeeMichael "Mike" Dale Huckabee is an American politician who served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate in the 2008 United States Republican presidential primaries, finishing second in delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won . He won...
(R-AR), former presidential candidate for 2008 Republican nomination
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Henry McMaster |
Gresham Barrett |
André Bauer |
Nikki Haley |
Other | Unde- cided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling (report) | June 5–6, 2010 | 998 | ± 3.1% | 16% | 23% | 12% | 43% | -- | 7% |
| Public Policy Polling (report) | May 22–23, 2010 | 638 | ± 3.9% | 18% | 16% | 13% | 39% | -- | 14% |
| Rasmussen Reports Rasmussen Reports Rasmussen Reports is an American media company that publishes and distributes information based on public opinion polling. Founded by pollster Scott Rasmussen in 2003, the company updates daily indexes including the President's job approval rating, and provides public opinion data, analysis, and... (report) |
May 17, 2010 | 931 | ± 4.5% | 19% | 17% | 12% | 30% | 3% | 13% |
| Rasmussen Reports Rasmussen Reports Rasmussen Reports is an American media company that publishes and distributes information based on public opinion polling. Founded by pollster Scott Rasmussen in 2003, the company updates daily indexes including the President's job approval rating, and provides public opinion data, analysis, and... (report) |
March 3, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 21% | 14% | 17% | 12% | 9% | 29% |
| InsiderAdvantage/Majority Opinion Research (http://www.realclearpolitics.com/politics_nation/2009/12/sc_gov_poll_tight_primary_battles.html) | December 16, 2009 | 371 | ± 5.1% | 22% | 9% | 22% | 13% | 6% | 28% |
Runoff
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Nikki Haley |
Gresham Barrett |
Unde- cided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling (report) | June 5–6, 2010 | 998 | ± 3.1% | 51% | 35% | 14% |
Results
Green PartySouth Carolina Green PartyThe South Carolina Green Party is a ballot-qualified political party in the state of South Carolina. It is the state affiliate party of the national Green Party of the United States....
and United Citizens PartyUnited Citizens PartyThe United Citizens Party was first organized in 1969 in the U.S. state of South Carolina in response to the state Democratic Party's opposition to nominating black candidates. The party's objective was to elect blacks to the legislature and local offices in counties with black majority populations...
candidate
- Morgan Reeves, Businessman, Roadway Land And Development Clearing: REEVES GROUP Minister (Christianity) A.M.E. Minister and retired National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
player from IrmoIrmo, South CarolinaIrmo is a town in Lexington and Richland counties in the U.S. state of South Carolina and a suburb of Columbia. It is 12 miles outside of the city center of Columbia and is part of the Columbia Metropolitan Statistical Area...
- DR Reeves was nominated March 30 by the United Citizens Party and South Carolina Green Party April 7 (see SC Election Commission website). Morgan Bruce Reeves will appear on the November 2nd general election ballot for both parties. An Independent, DR Reeves has collected enough voter petition signatures to qualify by the July 15th deadline onto a 3rd ballot line.
Working Families PartyWorking Families PartyThe Working Families Party is a minor political party in the United States founded in New York in 1998. There are "sister" parties to the New York WFP in Connecticut, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Oregon, but there is as yet no national WFP...
candidate (ineligible)
- Jim RexJim RexJim Rex was the 16th South Carolina Superintendent of Education. He ran for the position in 2006 as a Democrat, against Karen Floyd, a Republican. Rex defeated Floyd by only 455 votes, the closest margin of victory in a statewide election in South Carolina's history...
, State Superintendent of EducationSuperintendent (education)In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....
from Fairfield County- Rex was nominated by the Working Families Party prior to losing the Democratic primary. Rex will not appear on the Working Families ballot line in November due to South Carolina's "sore loser" law that requires candidates not to seek nominations from multiple parties from appearing on the ballot after they lose any one party's nomination (see candidate party pledge forms). Several election law issues are before US appellate court in Richmond, VA regarding conformity to the 1965 Voting Rights Act and US Constitutional provisions, see ACLU/Platt v SC
Endorsements
Senator Vincent Sheheen -- South Carolina Chamber of CommerceRepresentative Nikki Haley-- National Rifle Association
Representative Nikki Haley-- South Citizens for Life
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Cook Political Report Cook Political Report The Cook Political Report is an independent, non-partisan online newsletter that analyzes elections and campaigns for the United States House of Representatives, the United States Senate, Governor's offices and the American Presidency. The Cook Political Report is led by a staff of five... |
Lean R | October 29, 2010 |
| Rothenberg Stuart Rothenberg Stuart Rothenberg is an American editor, publisher, and political analyst best known for his Washington-based, biweekly, self-proclaimed non-partisan political newsletter The Rothenberg Political Report... |
Safe R | October 28, 2010 |
| Rasmussen Reports Rasmussen Reports Rasmussen Reports is an American media company that publishes and distributes information based on public opinion polling. Founded by pollster Scott Rasmussen in 2003, the company updates daily indexes including the President's job approval rating, and provides public opinion data, analysis, and... |
Lean R | October 28, 2010 |
| Swing State Project | Likely R | |
| RealClearPolitics RealClearPolitics RealClearPolitics is a political news and polling data aggregator based in Chicago, Illinois. The site's founders say their goal is to give readers "ideological diversity." They have described themselves as frustrated with what they perceive as anti-conservative, anti-Christian media bias, and... |
Leans R | October 29, 2010 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball Sabato's Crystal Ball Sabato’s Crystal Ball is a free, nonpartisan weekly online newsletter and comprehensive website in the United States that analyzes the current American political scene and predicts electoral outcomes for U.S House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, governors, and U.S. president races... |
Likely R | October 28, 2010 |
| CQ Politics Congressional Quarterly Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress... |
Leans R | October 29, 2010 |
Polling
| Poll source | Dates administered | Nikki Haley (R) | Vincent Sheheen (D) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crantford & Associates | October 21, 2010 | 48% | 37% |
| Crantford & Associates | October 18, 2010 | 43% | 41% |
| Winthrop University | October 13, 2010 | 47% | 39% |
| Hamilton Campaigns | October 5, 2010 | 49% | 44% |
| Hamilton Campaigns | October 5, 2010 | 49% | 44% |
| Hamilton Campaigns | October 4, 2010 | 51% | 41% |
| Crantford & Associates | October 2, 2010 | 45% | 41% |
| Rasmussen Reports | September 22, 2010 | 50% | 33% |
| Rasmussen Reports | August 25, 2010 | 52% | 36% |
| Rasmussen Reports | July 29, 2010 | 49% | 35% |
| Rasmussen Reports | June 23, 2010 | 52% | 40% |
| Rasmussen Reports | June 10, 2010 | 55% | 34% |
| Public Policy Polling | May 22–23, 2010 | 44% | 34% |
Results
Debates
- "First in the State" Republican Gubernatorial Primary Debate
Sponsored by the Republican Parties of Newberry and Laurens Counties
Aired on WIS-TV
WIS
WIS, channel 10, is an NBC-affiliated television station in Columbia, South Carolina, USA. Owned by Raycom Media, WIS has studios on Bull Street in downtown Columbia, and transmitter located in Lugoff, South Carolina.-History:...
on September 22, 2009
Watch here
- "Spotlight on the Candidates" Joint Gubernatorial Primary Debate
Sponsored by the SC Natural Resources Society
Aired on SCETV
South Carolina Educational Television
South Carolina Educational Television is the statewide public television and public radio network in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It consists of all the Public Broadcasting Service member [television stations and National Public Radio member radio stations in the state...
on November 3, 2009
(This debate marked the first time in state history that gubernatorial primary candidates from both parties participated in the same debate.)
Watch here
- SCGOP Gubernatorial Debate
Sponsored by the South Carolina Republican Party
South Carolina Republican Party
The South Carolina Republican Party and the South Carolina Democratic Party are the two major political parties within the U.S. state of South Carolina...
Moderated by MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
hosts Joe Scarborough
Joe Scarborough
Charles Joseph "Joe" Scarborough is an American cable news and talk radio host, lawyer, author, and former politician. He is currently the host of Morning Joe on MSNBC, and previously hosted Scarborough Country on the same channel...
and Mika Brzezinski
Mika Brzezinski
Mika Emilie Leonia Brzezinski is an American television news journalist at MSNBC. Brzezinski is co-host of MSNBC's weekday morning program Morning Joe, where she provides regular commentary and reads the news headlines for the program...
Aired on WCSC-TV
WCSC-TV
WCSC-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for South Carolina's Lowcountry area licensed to Charleston. Its broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 47 from a transmitter in Awendaw. The station can also be seen on Time Warner channel 5 as well as Comcast and Knology...
on January 28, 2010
Watch here
External links
- South Carolina State Election Commission
- South Carolina Governor Candidates at Project Vote SmartProject Vote SmartProject Vote Smart is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States...
- Campaign contributions for 2010 South Carolina Governor from Follow the Money
- South Carolina Governor 2010 from OurCampaigns.com
- 2010 South Carolina Governor General Election: Nikki Haley (R) vs Vincent Sheheen (D) graph of multiple polls from Pollster.com
- Election 2010: South Carolina Governor from Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports is an American media company that publishes and distributes information based on public opinion polling. Founded by pollster Scott Rasmussen in 2003, the company updates daily indexes including the President's job approval rating, and provides public opinion data, analysis, and...
- 2010 South Carolina Governor from Real Clear Politics
- 2010 South Carolina Governor's Race from CQ PoliticsCongressional QuarterlyCongressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
- Race Profile in The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
Debates
- South Carolina Republican Gubernatorial Primary Debate on C-SPANC-SPANC-SPAN , an acronym for Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network, is an American cable television network that offers coverage of federal government proceedings and other public affairs programming via its three television channels , one radio station and a group of websites that provide streaming...
, June 1, 2010 - South Carolina Democratic Gubernatorial Primary Debate on C-SPANC-SPANC-SPAN , an acronym for Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network, is an American cable television network that offers coverage of federal government proceedings and other public affairs programming via its three television channels , one radio station and a group of websites that provide streaming...
, June 3, 2010 - South Carolina Republican Gubernatorial Primary Runoff Debate on C-SPANC-SPANC-SPAN , an acronym for Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network, is an American cable television network that offers coverage of federal government proceedings and other public affairs programming via its three television channels , one radio station and a group of websites that provide streaming...
, June 17, 2010
Official campaign websites