FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER DECIDES AGAINST 2010 BID

Republican hopefuls for South Carolina governor in 2010 can breathe a sigh of relief. The Palmetto Scoop has learned that former State House Speaker and current U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Wilkins will not throw his hat in the ring in the race to replace Gov. Mark Sanford.

Wilkins is the second of five big name Republicans to remove his name from contention. His predecessor, House Speaker Bobby Harrell, announced in May that he would not be running.

This sets up a likely three-way battle for the GOP nomination between Attorney General Henry McMaster, Rep. Gresham Barrett and Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer.

As House Speaker, Wilkins achieved unparalleled success in expanding the Republican majority, with the number of GOP members increasing every cycle under his watch. That includes a four year period when the state had a Democratic governor and the deck was stacked against Republican pickups.

Since his departure to Canada, House leadership has struggled to maintain that success despite a much more pro-GOP environment as well as a Republican governor.

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UPDATE: The Greenville News has just posted a more in-depth copy of this story.