GOP Senate candidates (Jim DeMint & Thomas Ravenel) hitting $1 million mark (South Carolina)

GreenvilleOnline.com ^ | 7/2/03 | Dan Hoover

[LdSentinal]

Two Republican U.S. Senate candidates are in the $1 million fund-raising ballpark and a third said Wednesday he logged the best quarter of his political career.

Rep. Jim DeMint of Greenville raised approximately $600,000 from April through June for a campaign total of "just under or over" $1 million, said Barry Wynn of Spartanburg, a former state GOP chairman and a DeMint finance committee leader.

[Kuksool]

I hope Charlie Condon becomes the next Senator of SC. The US Senate just isn't the same without Jesse Helms. Charlie Condon, as SC Attorney General, has been a fighter for conservative principles. He is the kind of guy that conservatives admire, and liberals love to hate. We need an another Jesse Helms in the Senate to keep GWB from getting lost in the political center. I'm sick of spineless "moderates" who stand for nothing. We need more colorful conservatives to shakeup Washington D.C.

[Kuksool]

Political News Ping!

[Impy]

Hmm I've never heard of Ravenel other than seeing gis name on politics1.com.

Is Governor Sanford backing anyone?

[Kuksool]

{Is Governor Sanford backing anyone?}

So far Gov. Sanford has remained silent. I know Karl Rove is backing Rep. Jim DeMint.

[fieldmarshaldj]

(SC Senate race)

Personally, I'd love to see Condon in there, too, but the safe choice will be DeMint. I see Art Ravenel is trying to get his boy in there, though I doubt he's going to get much traction. He should position him to run for his old Congressional seat when Henry Brown vacates it. That same House seat could also be a potential for Condon, too, if he doesn't get the Senate nomination.

[Theodore R.]

I don't know much about Arthur Ravenal, but I do recall that he contemplating switching to the Democrats but was talked out of doing so by Lee Atwater, shortly before Atwater contracted his fatal brain tumor.

I too would think DeMint would be the stronger candidate, but who can say for sure, with Hollings being so eternally popular in SC.

[Impy]

I wonder if Sanford will return the favor to Condon because Condon endorsed him for the Gov. primary runnoff or go with the probably stronger Demint.

[AuH2ORepublican]

"but the safe choice will be DeMint"

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Not only is he the safe choice, DeMint would also make a wonderful conservative Senator. And isn't he younger than Condon? I know South Carolina Senators last a long time, and the state isn't likely to revert to RAT domination at least for the next half century, but I'd still prefer a younger Senator.

[Impy]

DeMint is 51 but looks younger. I don;t know how old Condon is.

Too bad SC can't have 3 senators. Or 30. :p

[Impy]

To add, I think Condon should have run for senate in 02. He could have beaten Graham in the primary and would have easily beaten Sanders the rat.

[AuH2ORepublican]

"I think Condon should have run for senate in 02"

---

No way he would have beaten Graham, who was annointed early on as the Senator-to-be, and who raised a gazillion dollars early on. But I agree that he probably would have beaten Sanders in 2002, although I'd rather have him run in a presidential year in an open seat.

[doosee]

Concerns are being raised over the fact that with DeMint SC would have both Senators residing from the same area of the state, upper state. That factor will need to be dealt with one way or the other.