“Hell, boy, you don’t know anything about politics; you need to go sober up,” Hollings quoted his father as saying.
Posted on 06/15/2005 10:33:30 AM PDT by JohnnyZ
Two of the most potent names in South Carolina politics could be going head-to-head on ballots for statewide office next year.
Michael Hollings, son of retired U.S. Sen. Fritz Hollings, told The State on Monday he will seek the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor — setting up a potential clash with Republican Mike Campbell, son of former Gov. Carroll Campbell.
Fritz Hollings retired last year after 56 years in public office as a state legislator, governor and U.S. senator.
Carroll Campbell — a former state legislator, congressman and governor — is credited with rebuilding the Republican Party after decades of Democratic dominance in South Carolina.
Of course, for the showdown to take place, Campbell first must defeat incumbent Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer in the Republican primary next June.
No other Democrat has announced.
The early sparring was gentlemanly.
“Mike is a nice guy. I like him very much,” Hollings, 54, said of Campbell. “One must look at the limited nature of what the lieutenant governor does. It will be a question of focus. What limited thing will Mike choose to bring to the office?”
Campbell, 36, said he has known Hollings for several years.
“He’s a very nice guy,” Campbell said of Hollings. “I look forward to a spirited debate about job creation for South Carolina.”
Bauer’s reaction: Bring it on.
“I can’t promise you I’ll have the most money or the most famous last name in the race,” the first-term Republican and former state legislator said, “but I can promise you I’ll work harder than anyone to keep the best job in government.”
Hollings said Bauer, 36, has failed to show voters he is up to the task of higher office.
Hollings’ biggest problem might be winning his father’s support.
Earlier this year, the younger Hollings considered running for governor but backed out after conferring with family and weighing the cost.
“We thought it made more sense to start at lieutenant governor,” he said in an interview.
Plus, Michael Hollings didn’t get any encouragement from his famous father — who was lieutenant governor from 1955 to 1959 before he was governor from 1959 to 1963.
“Hell, boy, you don’t know anything about politics; you need to go sober up,” Hollings quoted his father as saying.
Hollings was reluctant to ask for his father’s support for lieutenant governor.
“I haven’t gotten his permission yet and don’t intend to,” he said. “I decided not to seek his permission for lieutenant governor. He’ll come around.”
The former senator could not be reached for comment.
Hollings — an attorney and lobbyist practicing in Columbia — said he sees the lieutenant governor’s job as an “apprenticeship” for higher office.
“Obviously, it’s a very limited office,” he said.
The lieutenant governor is largely a ceremonial position. He presides over the state Senate and takes over for the governor if he is unable to perform his duties.
Hollings rejected the notion it’s a nothing job.
“It’s a serious apprenticeship for higher office,” he said, “where you can learn the skills that one would use, for instance, in running for the U.S. Senate one day, or in running for governor.”
The fact hasn’t been lost on him that in 2010, his father’s old U.S. Senate seat, now occupied by Republican U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint of Greenville, will be up for election again.
Hollings said he will kick off fund raising at a Charleston event in September. He has yet to form a campaign committee, but he doesn’t see that as a problem.
“There is a silent army of support out there,” he said, “mostly people who worked in Dad’s old campaigns.”
I assume we're all supporting Campbell over Bauer for Lt. Gov?
So, does Michael sound like Leghorn Cleghorn ?
There is TOO MUCH running for office go'in on in that there family.
What do you think the odds are on a Mike Campbell trifecta, 06 Lt Gov primary, 06 lt gov general, 2010 governor? 3:1?
"I assume we're all supporting Campbell over Bauer for Lt. Gov?"
Why are we against current Republican Lt. Gov?
"I assume we're all supporting Campbell over Bauer for Lt. Gov?"
The guy's 35 and acts like he's 20.
A Columbia police officer stops Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, saying he was speeding, running red lights and driving in a manner that showed "total disregard for public safety." Bauer said he was running late for a Senate session.
I don't remember specifics but there was at least one other incident that got me thinking that Bauer was not the kind of guy a state needed climbing the political ladder.
Will fritz junior unfurl the Stars and Bars so he can raise it above the Statehouse? I'll bet not.
Is this younger version also a puppet of the trial lawyers?--the way his dad was...
I'll have to study up on Campbell's kid. Daddy's shoes, and Daddy's name, don't mean a thing to me.
Right. And some of the most corrupt kids any of us ever knew were preachers' kids. True or not. Who your daddy is doesn't mean a whole lot. I suggest we follow this thing before deciding Junior bears the same seven starred crown as Daddy.
Bauer doesn't seem to have impressed me much. Campbell seems like a better alternative. If son of Hollings really wanted to get back at diddy, he ought switch parties. Foghorn will have a stroke.
The thing is, y'all know nothing about Andre Bauer. He has blocked over a billion dollars in tax increases, cut waste while delivering more resources to seniors, supplied SC law enforcement agencies with 100% capacity of bullet-proof vests.
In addition Andre Bauer never ran stop lights as was brought out in court. What does Campbell have to run on? His father's name. And Carroll Campbell he is not.
Michael Hollings has also dropped out of the race.
"There's too much nep-oh-tism going on over h'yeh."
Not much point in trying to turn me, since I'm not a SC voter. Welcome to FR. ;-)
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