Wedekind banks on $100,000 loan in Midlands solicitor race

Republican Larry Wedekind has borrowed $100,000 to finance his bid to become chief prosecutor in Lexington County and nearby areas.

The military credit union loan, listed in his latest campaign disclosure report, gives him more money for ads, mailings and other promotions than his two opponents combined in a push to, if not win outright, at least make it into a runoff.

With the loan, Wedekind reported $146,000 for his disposal compared to $90,000 for Rick Hubbard and $23,000 for Candice Lively as their June 14 showdown at the polls approaches. Nearly all of the money for Hubbard and Lively comes from donations, with small amounts added personally by each.

Taking on a debt of that size – slightly more than two-thirds of the position’s annual salary of nearly $143,000 – is unusual for a candidate for local office, experts familiar with county politics said.

“That’s a big number and turns heads,” political consultant Walter Whetsell said. “It shows this is something he’s passionate about.”

Wedekind’s choice underscores his political independence, his new campaign strategist, Brent Littlefield, said. It enables him to avoid relying mainly on donations from lawyers who typically seek to cut deals with prosecutors who push for reduced penalties for offenders and from police officers whose actions the solicitor’s office might have to review, Littlefield said.

“He feels the next solicitor must be independent of many outside influences,” Littlefield said.

But it’s also a step Wedekind took to ensure that he can be competitive in marketing himself, political consultant R.J. Shealy said.

“It’s a big gamble, something just not expected, ” Shealy said. “But it gives him the resources to be a contender.”

The loan frees Wedekind to concentrate on campaigning instead of spending time trying to raise money, Shealy said.

Neither Whetsell nor Shealy is involved in the solicitor’s race, although Shealy did preliminary work briefly for Lively.

Wedekind already has allocated more than $80,000 for television ads plus another $44,000 for mailings promoting his candidacy, his report this week to the State Ethics Commission shows.

That’s double the $30,000 earmarked so far for broadcast ads reported by Hubbard’s campaign. Lively spent near $2,000 for ads mainly on social media, her report says.

But Hubbard heads into the final days of the campaign with more money on hand. He has $33,000 available compared to $9,200 for Wedekind and $1,500 for Lively, the reports say.

The reports are the last look at candidate fund-raising before the election.

Winning the GOP contest for 11th Circuit solicitor is tantamount to being elected Nov. 8 since no one else is running.

Solicitor Donnie Myers is retiring after holding the post for a state record of 40 years as chief prosecutor in Lexington, Edgefield, McCormick and Saluda counties. Voters in each of those counties will vote June 14.

Myers is joining law enforcement leaders in supporting Hubbard as his successor, citing his experience from 22 years as a prosecutor.

Wedekind also was an assistant solicitor under Myers, while former Grand Strand assistant prosecutor Lively is on the faculty at the University of South Carolina law school.

The wild card in the race is whether voters unhappy with Myers’ three arrests for alcohol-related traffic offenses in the past 11 years will take it out on Hubbard.

Both Lively and Wedekind are trying to turn Myers’ support for Hubbard into a political weapon against him.

At a forum in Chapin last week, Hubbard described Myers, 71, as “one of the best prosecutors our state has ever had, but he realizes now it’s time” to step aside.

This story was originally published June 3, 2016 at 6:39 PM with the headline "Wedekind banks on $100,000 loan in Midlands solicitor race."