Elections 2014

SC governor re-election war chest nears $1 million

Published: April 13, 2012 

The State sits down with Governor Haley to discuss the her view on the state of South Carolina in 2011.

Kim Kim Foster-Tobin — kkfoster@thestate.comBuy Photo

But governor has not yet announced she’s running

Gov. Nikki Haley has raised almost $1 million for her 2014 re-election campaign.

Except, of course, the first-term Republican from Lexington has not said she will seek a second term. Instead, Haley has been coy, saying she has not made up her mind.

“The governor is focused on the job she was elected to do, not the next election,” spokesman Rob Godfrey said Thursday. “It’s much too soon to think about a 2014 election.”

But not too early to build up a war chest.

In the first quarter of this year, Haley raised $205,167.84, while spending $71,683.33. Thus far, she has raised $970,620.72 for 2014 and spent $307,021.18, leaving her with $663,599.54 on hand.

Haley spent almost $4 million in her 2010 campaign for governor.

In the first quarter of this year, Haley tapped into a number of distinct groups to raise money: companies and their political action committees, out-of-state interests and the Indian-American community.

She also raised almost $41,000 from 58 individual and company donors in Sumter.

Late last year, Continental Tires said it would build a $500 million plant in Sumter, employing up to 1,700 people, after receiving promises of $31 million in state incentives, standard fare for companies opening new major facilities.

Haley’s Sumter donors included construction, lumber, real estate, recycling and transportation companies as well as attorneys, car dealers, doctors and insurance agents.

Haley’s first-quarter report, filed this week, also shows she raised:

• Almost $121,000 from 80 companies or their political-action committees.

Contributors ranged from S.C. power law firms – the McNair Law Firm, Haynesworth Sinkler Boyd, and Nelson Mullins Riley Scarborough – to pay-day lenders – Advance America and Check Into Cash.

Other contributors included banks BB&T and NBSC; cable company TimeWarner; fast-food leader McDonald’s; hoteliers Hilton and Marriott; insurer Aflac; software giant Microsoft; tobacco company Lorillard; transportation companies Norfolk Southern and taxpayer-bailed-out GM; and utilities AT&T, the Black River Electric Cooperative, Progress Energy and the Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina.

• Almost $90,000 from about 100 out-of-state donors. During the quarter, however, Haley – who has been criticized for her reliance on out-of-state fundraising – raised more money from South Carolinians – about $115,000.

• Almost $20,000 from 40 Indian-American donors, most living in the Washington, D.C., area. Haley’s new autobiography begins, “I am the proud daughter of Indian parents,” and that country’s U.S. ambassador visited Columbia earlier this year, saying Haley is a “rock star” in her parents’ native country.

Haley’s largest expenses were for political consultants.

Her campaign paid MJC Consulting, the firm of Haley’s fundraiser Marisa Crawford, $27,306.34 during the quarter and Lexington-based Starboard Communications $25,184.63.

Other expenses included $6,000 to the Cayce video firm Square Circle and $232.41 to the governor herself for cellphone expenses.

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