Tuesday, Feb. 09, 2010

S.C. Rep. Scott signs up for District 1 race (with video)

Official to run for Congress

S.C. Rep. Tim Scott was in Horry County Monday trying to get his name and face out to voters, but not for the lieutenant governor's race.

Scott, 44, who is the first black Republican elected to the S.C. legislature since Reconstruction, announced Monday that he will join the crowded race for the U.S. District 1 Congressional seat.

Scott will be one of seven Republicans vying for the seat vacated by Henry Brown, who announced his retirement last month. Scott, who served on the Charleston County Council and as the state representative for Charleston and Berkeley counties, spent time Monday getting his face out to media and voters on both ends of his district.

"I would plan on working for all of the people in the district. One of my priorities would be working on getting [Interstate] 73. That's an issue that affects everyone, not just Horry County. I think using the best assets of the coast when working on job creation, whether that's the Grand Strand or Charleston, is also important," Scott said. "The unemployment rate along the coast in some numbers I've seen is more than 13 percent; that's higher than the state average. We need to focus on helping people put dinner on the table for their families."

Scott will face two well-known names in S.C. politics: Paul Thurmond, son of long-serving U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond, and Carroll "Tumpy" Campbell III, son of former Gov. Carroll Campbell. Scott said Monday that facing the namesakes will not change his strategy.

"What we're going to do is primarily focus on what we can do for the people. I'm not a dynasty guy. I grew up working class, I almost dropped out of high school and I started my business from scratch. I know what it means to work hard, and that's what I plan to do," he said. "I was running a pretty comfortable race for lieutenant governor. The harder choice was to follow what was in my heart and the desire of my constituents."

Scott, who grew up in North Charleston, is an insurance salesman and former County Council member and chairman, serving for more than 13 years.

He is in his first term as a state representative. He said Monday that his goals will be promoting economic development, cutting spending and improving state's rights.

Campbell started campaigning against Scott late Monday morning with an e-mailed statement on Scott's announcement. The statement said Scott was entering the race late because of a failed campaign for lieutenant governor.

"Now it appears that Tim Scott will be trying to run for his third office in just two years; abandoning what appears to be a failed campaign for Lt. Governor. Mr. Scott is just another politician in a string, all scrambling over one another to get into a campaign I have been in for nearly a year," he wrote in the statement.

Other Republicans running include former Charleston County school board member Larry Kobrovsky, Isle of Palms City Councilman Ryan Buckhannon and former Brown aide Stovall Witte. North Myrtle Beach native Katherine Jenerette, who ran against Brown in 2008, announced the day after the 2008 general election that she would run again.

Other Republicans have hinted that they may join the race before the mid-March filing period.

The primary elections will be held June 8, and if no one from the crowded field receives 50 percent of the vote, then a run-off would be held June 22.

Democratic candidates for the seat include commercial pilot Robert Burton of Mount Pleasant, Georgetown businessman Robert Dobbs and retired accountant Dick Withington of Horry County.

Scott's withdrawal from the lieutenant governor's race leaves Ken Ard and Bill Connor seeking the GOP nomination. Democratic Charleston attorney Ashley Cooper is also running. Incumbent GOP Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer is running for governor.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.