COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - Gov. Nikki Haley’s campaign has about $4.3 million available after her first-quarter fundraising, while her Democratic opponent has $1.7 million in the bank, their campaigns reported Thursday.
The Republican governor reported raising $863,400 from January through March toward her bid for re-election. That’s $300,000 more than state Sen. Vincent Sheheen’s campaign said he raised in the quarter.
No one is challenging Sheheen, D-Camden, for the Democratic nomination. He lost to Haley by 4.5 percentage points in 2010.
Haley’s one primary opponent, Tom Ervin, has more than $271,000 available, after loaning himself more than $420,000. The former judge and state House member announced his candidacy last week. Libertarian Steve French had $7,500 on hand.
Campaign disclosures for all candidates in South Carolina were due by midnight Thursday.
South Carolinians accounted for 66 percent of the 2,114 donors to Haley’s campaign in the quarter. They accounted for 51 percent of total donations, according to her online disclosure.
“The governor is grateful for the generous support of so many across our state, support that means we will have the resources over the months ahead” to get her message across, said her campaign adviser Tim Pearson.
In the lieutenant governor’s race, retired Charleston developer Pat McKinney had by far the most money for a four-way GOP primary, with nearly $545,000 available as of March 31. He was the first Republican to announce his bid for the state’s No. 2 post, after loaning himself $245,000 last September. Ray Moore, a retired Army chaplain, had nearly $7,600 cash available with fundraising that began in February.
Two other Republicans jumped into the race late last month. Mike Campbell, the younger son of the late Gov. Carroll Campbell, had $862 in the bank as of March 31, less than two weeks after his announcement.
Former two-term Attorney General Henry McMaster had no cash when the quarter ended but reported loaning himself the $1,862 he needed to pay his filing fee to become a candidate March 27. McMaster’s campaign said Thursday that he didn’t start campaigning until after the quarter ended. He’s since collected nearly $30,000, said his manager, Jeff Taillon.
The lone Democrat seeking the job, state Rep. Bakari Sellers, had $106,000 available at quarter’s end.
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