Cost of running for SC Senate going up

The price of running in a contentious S.C. state Senate race is going up and easily can run into the six figures.

Both candidates for a Northeast Richland state Senate seat, for example, have raised more than $100,000, according to state ethics filings. That sum — in excess of $250,000 in total for both candidates — does not include additional money spent on behalf of the candidates by the state Democratic and Republican parties.

An embattled incumbent, trying to retain his or her Senate seat, can spend even more.

Earlier this year, state Senate President Pro Tempore High Leatherman, R-Florence, waged the state’s most expensive Senate campaign. Leatherman reported spending almost $2 million, including a $750,000 loan that he repaid, to fight off two GOP primary challengers and the political machine of Republican Gov. Nikki Haley.

Where does the money go?

Advertising on television or radio, mailings, campaign signs, social media, campaign events and even the cost of fundraising — spending money to make money.

And those costs quickly add up.

“Campaigning is very expensive,” said S.C. Democratic Party chairman Jaime Harrison, referencing the old saying, “Money is the mother’s milk of politics.”

Candidates have more competition than ever when it comes to catching voters’ attention, said S.C. GOP chairman Matt Moore, adding capturing that attention can be expensive.

Social media, campaign costs add up

Running for the state Senate is more expensive than a race for the S.C. House or a local government post because, in part, of the prestige associated with the post, both party chairmen said.

“South Carolina senators are very influential,” Moore said, adding senators hold sway over state policy on a number of issues. As a result, donors think donating to a powerful Senate is a good investment.

“A South Carolina Senate seat is a very powerful position,” Harrison said.

Positive name recognition and voter awareness are essential to campaigns, Moore said, adding it can be costly to buy voter awareness.

While not in Leatherman’s league, Republican Susan Brill, a Richland 2 school board member, and Democrat Mia McLeod, a state representative, are spending tens of thousands as they vie to succeed outgoing Democratic state Sen. Joel Lourie in District 22.

Democratic candidate McLeod had not released her per-election filing as of Monday evening. But in her July report she had raised $127,920.

As of Monday, Brill had raised $189,146, including $90,000 in loans, according to her campaign filings.

Brill’s largest expense since July was $10,000 spent to call voters. Her other campaign expenses include nearly $4,500 to print and mail campaign materials, and $350 for consulting on use of social media.

Social media is a newer landscape for campaigns, long accustomed to more traditional ad buys, including TV commercials.

However, most campaigns now realize its much more cost effective to spend money on Facebook ads, phone calls and old-fashioned mail, said the GOP’s Moore.

TV commercials do not have the impact they once had because viewers can fast forward through as now, never seeing them, Moore said.

Democrat Harrison agreed social media now is a part of everyday campaigning, requiring Facebook and Twitter ads.

Expensive opposition

State Senate leader Leatherman, who chairs the Senate’s budget committee and sits on many other state boards, spent nearly $2 million fending off two GOP primary challengers and a political committee with ties to Gov. Haley, who frequently has clashed with her fellow Republican.

Leatherman, who started the campaign with almost $700,000 in the bank, reported raising more than $600,000 in contributions and borrowing $750,000, later repaid.

Other state senators spent more than $200,000 each as they tried to fend off challengers in June’s GOP primary. Three Republican Senate incumbents lost to challengers in the June primary despite raising more than $200,000.

Senate leader Leatherman has said the cost of running for office is rising, in part, because candidates must fend off outside groups as well as challengers. Those outside groups are not directly tied to a candidate in a race. But the “dark money” groups, which do not have to reveal their donors or agenda, can flood a contest with money.

Now, candidates have to counter spending by outside groups that are unaccountable to anyone, Democrat Harrison said.

This story was originally published October 24, 2016 at 7:28 PM with the headline "Cost of running for SC Senate going up."