THIRD TERM REP. BANKING ON SANFORD SUPPORT

Next year’s race to replace Gov. Mark Sanford has taken a strange but minor twist as a third-term State Representative has announced her candidacy.

Rep. Nikki Haley (R-Lexington), said on her website that she intends to to seek the Republican nomination for governor net year.

“The road ahead will be long and challenging–but also very exciting,” Haley said. “And we’re going to need your help.”

But that last sentence will likely prove a drastic understatement.

With very little name identification outside her House district and almost no money on hand, Haley will struggle to compete with three announced candidates who already dwarf her in both areas.

The Lexington Republican, however, is allegedly banking on support from Sanford. Even that, however, is not likely to keep her competitive.

Haley reportedly moved her announcement up a few weeks in order to speak at Saturday’s State Republican Convention, where she is listed as an announced gubernatorial candidate.

Sources confirmed that she has already purchased office space and begun hiring staff.

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UPDATE: Hilariously, Haley’s website was yanked from the Intertubes by the “Under the Powerlines” folks, who are also the same people running Congressman Gresham Barrett’s campaign. Haley’s official blogger, Will Folks, blamed it on the Barrett campaign’s fear of Haley. I would blame it on the fact that she let those morons control her site.