LT. GOV. HAS $825,000 ON HAND FOR LIKELY GUV BID

Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer solidified his third place standing in next June’s Republican gubernatorial primary by raising $262,000 in the third quarter.

Bauer hasn’t officially said that he is running for governor, but said he would formally announce this week if disgraced Gov. Mark Sanford — who is at the center of a State Ethics Commission investigation — does not resign.

Bauer reported having roughly $825,000 in his lieutenant governor account, but all that money would have to be transferred to a potential gubernatorial campaign account.

“Since we haven’t announced, I haven’t been as focused on fundraising as the others,” Bauer said in a prepared statement Monday. “But it appears with $825,000 in cash in the bank, we are poised to start our campaign for governor on a level playing field.”

Bauer’s numbers, however, are significantly lower than his GOP rivals.

Attorney General Henry McMaster and Congressman Gresham Barrett each reported having more than $1 million in the bank. McMaster raised more than $1.09 million since officially launching his campaign for governor in late August, while Barrett only pulled in $400,000 during the quarter.