Templeton slams Warren with attack ad in SC GOP governor's race

A week out from the GOP primary, Republican candidates hoping to force a runoff with S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster have turned up the heat.

Mount Pleasant labor attorney Catherine Templeton on Tuesday launched a new campaign ad targeting the Greenville businessman over his views on abortion and gun control.

The 30-second spot is part of a six-figure ad buy, according to Templeton's campaign.

The ad comes after Warren recently launched a websitejabbing Templeton over her 2010 vote for the then-Democratic candidate for governor, state Sen. Vincent Sheheen; her 2015 comments critical of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump; and her two no-bid consulting contracts with state agencies.

Polls show Templeton and Warren, an Upstate lender and Marine Corps veteran, are neck and neck for second place to force the five-way race into a likely runoff against McMaster, the front-runner.

The ad claims that while on the campaign trail, Warren has made a point of discussing his exception for abortion. And that in a media interview, Warren indicated he was open to more gun control laws. Warren's campaign argues those claims are false and misleading.

South Caroline Citizens for Life gave Warren a 100 percent pro-life rating in his response to a candidate survey. Warren also received an "AQ" rating from the National Rifle Association — the highest marks possible for a candidate without a voting record — for strongly supporting the Second Amendment.

"Being pro-life is personal for Catherine Templeton," campaign manager R. J. May III said in a statement. "There is no ethical justification for the intentional abortion of a child."

In April, Templeton launched an ad focused on her decision not to have an abortion while pregnant with twins. Instead, she told doctors they needed to run more tests to determine if one child needed to be aborted to save the life of the other.

Earlier in the campaign, Templeton had said she believed there should be an exception for incest. But she later changed her stance to support a bill that would have effectively banned all abortions in the state.

"John Warren is building a movement of conservatives across South Carolina, while Catherine's charade has failed," said Warren campaign spokeswoman Laura Beth Kirsop. "Templeton voted for pro-abortion, anti-gun Democrats like Vince Sheheen over Nikki Haley, she doesn't vote in Republican primaries, and she bankrolls liberal Democrats for statewide office — that is not conservative."

Templeton's new ad also asserts Warren is being "bankrolled by a liberal super PAC boss," a reference to Warren's campaign receiving a donation from Frank Schuler, president of the Partnership for Conservation and treasurer of the Partnership for Conservation PAC.

The group works to encourage the private sector to participate in land conservation throughout the United States. It has given to both Democrats and Republicans, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

This story was originally published June 5, 2018 at 12:35 PM with the headline "Templeton slams Warren with attack ad in SC GOP governor's race."