Politics & Government

Vincent Sheheen Running For Governor

Democrat will challenge Gov. Nikki Haley.

Vincent Sheheen put to rest months of speculation by announcing his candidacy for Governor on Wednesday morning.

The Kershaw Democrat will likely challenge Gov. Nikki Haley in a rematch of the 2010 race which saw Haley win by 4.4 percentage points.

Haley has not officially announced her candidacy, but is expected to do so after the legislative session ends in June.

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Sheheen has been a persistent critic of Haley's since then, most recently pointing to the cybersecurity breach of the Revenue Department as an example of Haley's leadership failures.

In an email to supporters Sheheen wrote:

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South Carolina is the greatest state in the union, with unlimited potential. But let's face it, the status quo is not working.  
I want what you want - a South Carolina that our families, and the families of our children and grandchildren, can be successful in. For South Carolina to succeed, we have to change. And we need change now! 
That’s why today I’m taking steps to launch a campaign for governor. 
Our state deserves better than the failed and dysfunctional government it has received from our current politicians. Now, we need leaders. 
South Carolina has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, and has for the last 10 years. Under Governor Haley, more South Carolinians are having trouble finding work than people in other states, and our small businesses have been ignored.
South Carolina families pay the highest college tuition rates in the southeast and our families have a harder time achieving the American Dream than in almost any other state. Yet our current governor almost never talks about public education.
This administration's dysfunction allowed hackers to steal the most personal and private information that more than three million of us have and the Governor has refused to apologize or take responsibility for it.
There’s a better way. 
In the coming months, we’ll build our organization and officially launch the campaign this summer.  Three years ago, we came so very close to changing South Carolina for the better.  Now we can finish the job together.  I hope you will join us. 
Together we can create stronger schools for all of our children, help small businesses grow and create jobs, and restore honesty to our state’s government.  We need a governor whose top priority is the people of South Carolina and not the politics of ideology and ambition. I pledge to you that I will be the kind of governor we so desperately need.
We will get there together. You can help us start today by contributing $500, $250, $100, $50, or whatever you can afford. 
Today we start our journey to change South Carolina's tomorrow.  
I couldn't be more excited, and I hope you are too! 
Let's believe again, 
Vincent

In response to Sheheen's announcement, Tim Pearson, Haley's chief political advisor told Patch:

"Vince has been running for governor his entire adult life -- but it is ironic that Vince Sheheen, a pro-labor union trial lawyer, would announce his candidacy the day after Boeing announced 2,000 new jobs in South Carolina. Vince's message to job-creators; 'we'll raise your taxes, have trial lawyers take you to court, and let the labor unions push you around.' Real inviting."

Dick Harpootlian, chair of the SC Democratic Party, also told Patch, "Three years ago Vincent Sheheen told voters in South Carolina that he would do a better job as governor than Nikki Haley. He was right. Now the voters have a chance to correct their mistake."

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