South Carolina’s First Congressional District has served as one of the most hotly contested races in the state. Michael Brown has this report on the final two candidates.
SC House District 41 runoff simmers to a boil
June 21, 2010 By
The hotly contested Democratic Party runoff race in House District 41 is actually for the House seat since their is no Republican opposition. Young incumbent Boyd Brown finds himself in a dogfight with Fairfield County Councilman Kamau (kah-my-u) Marcharia (mar-sha-ree-a). Brown received 48 percent of the primary vote to Marcharia’s 39 percent in the three-way race. News surfaced after the primary that Marcharia is a registered sex offender stemming from a charge in the 1960′s. Marcharia professed his innocence of the conviction of being involved in the rape of a white woman nearly 50 years ago saying he was the victim of the racial tensions of the 1960′s. Marcharia spent 10 years in prison. Brown says he was taking the high road in the campaign and not mentioning his opponent’s past but he thinks voters ought to know. “I think it will have an impact on the race and folks needs to know who they are elected and their past.”
Marcharia says the voters know exactly who he is because he has served on the Fairfield County Council for over a decade.”I just got re-elected in 2008 for another four-year term. If I don’t win the House District 41 seat, I will remain on the county council for another two years.”
The third candidate in the primary Kenneth Belton received 13 percent of the vote. He has since thrown his support to Marcharia, however Brown charges that the Legislative Black Caucus unlawfully influenced Belton’s candidacy.
They sent out a piece for hims saying that he was endorsing my opponent and he had officially withdrawn from the race. He never officially withdrew from the race, he never actively campaigned. I’m not really worried about his vote that didn’t have much of an impact, I’m just going out getting my votes. [Read more...]
SCE&G seeks decrease in natural gas rates
June 21, 2010 By
Natural gas prices for SCE&G customers could be going down. South Carolina Electric & Gas Company, subsidiary of SCANA Corporation, has filed for a 2.24 percent or $10 million overall decrease to its retail natural gas base rates.
Marty Phalen, Vice President of the SCE&G Gas Division says while the lowering of price is being driven by several factors, all customers would see a rate reduction.
Overall reduction is being spread proportionately across the customer base, so the residentials, being the larger portion of the base would receive the largest reduction of 4.18 percent. Our medium and small commercial accounts would receive 1.93 percent reduction and our large industrial and large commercial customers would see a 1.3 percent reduction. So all customer classes will be seeing a reduction in their rates.
Phalen says this will be the first decrease under terms of the Natural Gas Rate Stabilization Act (RSA), a South Carolina law designed to reduce volatility of customer rates.
We have not had a reduction in rates since the RSA was implemented. We’ve come very close and have had some very small increases , 1.7 or 1.8 percent, since this mechanism has gone into effect in ’06, but this is the first rate reduction that we’re offering up through the RSA.
Phalen says that the rate decrease request is due in part to lower wholesale prices for natural gas and it means residential customers will be paying an average of about $100 less a year. [Read more...]
Political consultant has reservations about Haley political rise (AUDIO)
June 21, 2010 By
Lexington County Representative Nikki Haley is poised to capture the South Carolina Republican gubernatorial nomination, but first she must win Tuesday’s runoff against Congressman Gresham Barrett. Haley is the clear front-runner after capturing 49 percent of the primary vote to Barrett’s 22 percent. Clemson University Political Science professor and Republican Party consultant Dr. David Woodard says Haley’s rise has been meteoric.
In polling I have seen, she went from somewhere around 20 percent up to 38 percent within about two weeks, and that would have included the time of the two allegations of infidelity and the endorsement by Sarah Palin so she nearly doubled her base during that time. Certainly that the people that were behind her including the Tea Party people and people from the previous Sanford Administration just rode a rocket.
Woodard says he expects Haley to win the nomination, and as she goes forward, she will have to answer some tough questions–not only about how she will eventually handle unproven accusations of infidelity, but various aspects of her campaign as well. Woodard says he finds it interesting that on the national scene how the media is ready to anoint Haley as the next “rising Republican star.”
Talking to these Washington reporters has just been enlightening to me. They’re already ready to get a crown and come down here and put it on Nikki Haley’s head. I talked to a reporter up in Canada and I said it is much too soon to start anointing her. She has to win this primary runoff, win the general election, and do something in office, but they are already set to make her queen.
Woodard says it is a long way from June 22 to November and if Haley does go on to win the Tuesday runoff she will face a very formidable Democratic opponent in State Senator Vincent Sheheen.
AUDIO: Woodard on Haley- Potential vs. Accomplishments (2:21)
Meet the Candidates: GOP Lt. Gov. runoff (AUDIO)
June 21, 2010 By
The Republican race for Lt. Governor has tightened to that of an Army reservist and a county councilman.
