SPARTANBURG SENATOR CONSIDERS NEXT MOVE
COLUMBIA, S.C. (TPS) - The ever-ambitious Sen. Jim Ritchie (R-Spartanburg), one of at least five Republicans rumored to be weighing a run for governor in three years, has sent a letter across the state in an effort to feel out and drum up support for a potential statewide campaign. In the letter, Ritchie made no attempt to disguise his intentions and said, “I will be seriously considering offering my candidacy for Governor in the 2010 election.”
He went on to propose a not-so-subtle plea for feedback on planning his next move by explaining, “I must decide whether or not to seek re-election to the State Senate, or to fully devote my time to exploring a candidacy for Governor.”
The letter, sent from Priority Mailing Services, also came with a reply card for listing issue priorities for the 2008 legislative session.
Read the letter:
We have also heard from a number of sources that Ritchie has been contacting high-level donors by telephone to discuss the likely run.
So what is the real motivation behind the letter and phone calls?
For Ritchie, these are very bold moves - especially when considering that Gov. Mark Sanford’s re-election was a mere 10 months ago. But when the slate of possible primary opponents includes Attorney General Henry McMaster, House Speaker Bobby Harrell, Congressman Gresham Barrett and Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, the relatively unknown Ritchie has little choice but to be brash.
Ritchie may also be testing his statewide viability for another office. If he waits and McMaster runs for governor, Ritchie could become a relatively appealing candidate for attorney general.
Another possibility is that Ritchie is worried about a primary challenge in his senate district. With Sanford prepared to exact revenge on his foes in the General Assembly during the next election cycle, the senate majority whip may be on the governor’s list. The last time a Spartanburg senator became the target of Sanford’s reprisal - John Hawkins in 2004 - he barely made it out alive and only after pleading for his highness’ mercy.
Whatever the reason, Ritchie has certainly made one of the first significant moves in the race for the Governor’s Mansion.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 5th, 2007 at 5:11 pm and is filed under Executive, Featured, Legislature. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Jim WHO?
[...] Earlier today we received word that Jim Ritchie has sent out a mailer asking his constituents whether or not he should run for Governor. We just noticed that Trey Walker and crew have the letter up on their website. Check it out here. [...]
Oh, is that what I threw in the trash?
It is kind of funny - the classic ‘reluctant candidate,’ he sends out a letter to sort of ask “Hey is there a ground swell of support out there for me that I haven’t hear about?”
Jim Miles for Governor.
Get the Point.
[...] Ritchie takes first step toward 2010 gubernatorial bid Bad boy Beltram ponders future By The Editor | September 10, 2007 - 9:31 am - Posted in Republicans [...]