Sheheen Says he Offers S.C. a Different Future

South Carolina’s Democratic nominee for governor says he offers voters the choice of a different future for the state.

State Sen. Vincent Sheheen (D-Kershaw) addressed the media Wednesday morning in Columbia, a day after his showdown with state Rep. Nikki Haley (R-Lexington) was set.

Haley defeated U.S. Rep Gresham Barrett Tuesday night in the GOP runoff.

Sheheen said a vote for Haley would mean more of the same policies of the last eight years under Gov. Mark Sanford.

“It’s a choice between extending the Sanford legacy of more conflict, of division, of antagonism or of working together to solve the very real problems that we face in South Carolina,” he said.

Haley has attempted to distance herself for her political mentor since he admitted to having an extramarital affair last year.

“I’m not linking Rep. Haley to Gov. Mark Sanford,” said Sheheen. “She has linked herself to Gov. Mark Sanford throughout her entire career.”

Democrats will likely attack Haley on her ties to Sanford, according to Dr. Neal Thigpen, a longtime political analyst and former chair of the political science department at Francis Marion University.

“Her pronouncements in office are almost identical to Mark’s,” he said.

Thigpen believes this will be the Democrats best chance of winning the governorship in nearly a decade.

“Sheheen will be a fairly decent candidate for the Democrats and he’s got a good bit of experience in the state legislature,” he said.

“He will be more difficult to defeat than the average Democratic nominee…I don’t see him as a pushover and I give him some chance at winning the thing.”

Sheheen said he’ll offer a different path to the future by reforming the state’s tax code.

“My commitment is to honestly reform South Carolina’s state government, to make it actually work, to make it actually be accountable to taxpayers,” he said.

“Our current administration has missed opportunity after opportunity to grow our economy, to help our public schools. Instead we’ve seen our governor and his allies attack public education and sit on their hands as jobs have left South Carolina and our unemployment rate has risen.”

Sheheen said he plans to push for tax incentives that will encourage state agencies to offer contracts to South Carolina businesses.

“It’s only right that South Carolina taxpayer dollars stay in South Carolina,” he said.

Sheheen said he’s heard from a number of Republicans and independents who are supporting his campaign.

“There may be some Republicans that will support him. That’s just what the doctor ordered for him,” said Thigpen.

“That’s the kind of rebellion Sheheen needs to have a chance. He needs a split in the ranks of the larger (Republican) party.”

Thigpen said, as a moderate Democrat, it will be difficult for Republicans to paint Sheheen as a liberal.

“He’s about as middle of the road that you can possibly get.”

Regardless, it will likely be an uphill battle for Sheheen in the heavily conservative leaning state.

“He’s got to get all of the Democratic vote and get a pretty good turnout. He’s got win the swing voters and independents and he’s got to get maybe one in every five Republicans to vote for him. That’s a hard stretch,” said Thigpen

“It’s much easier for Haley. All she’s got to do is unite her party.”