TAPED EVENT TO BE BROADCAST AT 8 P.M. ON ETV

For the first time in South Carolina history, all of the hopeful candidates to become the state’s next governor will debate on the same stage prior to party primaries.

That will happen tonight in Orangeburg — and you can expect it to be a very crowded affair.

All five Republicans — Congressman Gresham Barrett, Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, State Sen. Larry Grooms, State Rep. Nikki Haley and Attorney General Henry McMaster — and all five Democrats — lobbyist Dwight Drake, State Sen. Robert Ford, attorney Mullins McLeod, State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex, and State Sen. Vincent Sheheen — will square off Rocquemore Auditorium at Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College.

The debate will be moderated by Mark Quinn, host of ETV’s “The Big Picture,” Nigel Robertson, news anchor for WYFF News 4 in Greenville, and Tony Bartelme, an environmental reporter for the Charleston Post & Courier.

The 90-minute debate will be taped at 6 p.m. and will then air across the state on ETV at 8 p.m. You can also view a live feed online via ETV’s Web site.