5th District candidate boycotts debate to debate role of moderator

Several GOP candidates in South Carolina’s special congressional election held a joint forum Wednesday in York County. But the biggest debate may be between the moderator and a candidate who didn’t show up.

Camden attorney and businessman Tom Mullikin informed event organizers he wouldn’t attend the forum at Lake Wylie because it was moderated by Scott Huffmon, a Winthrop University professor who Mullikin accuses of being anti-Trump.

Instead of attending the forum, Mullikin took to Facebook to call the choice of Huffmon, director of the respected Winthrop Poll, to moderate the discussion “unacceptable.”

“His outspoken opposition to President Trump’s candidacy and administration are well know and documented,” Mullikin said, posting screen grabs of tweets from Huffmon that were critical of Donald Trump.

The event was co-sponsored by the Clover/Lake Wylie Republican Women’s Club along with two local chambers of commerce.

Club president Peggy Upchurch responded to Mullikin’s campaign in a mass email to the other participating candidates and chamber executives. She said Mullikin’s post was “misleading,” and his campaign requested a change in moderators just two days before the event.

“I have made it a point to represent our club accurately and to represent all of our candidates as fairly as humanly possible,” Upchurch wrote, adding she hoped Mullikin would “have the correct information before posting on social media.”

Five other GOP candidates – Chad Connelly, Sheri Few, Ralph Norman, Tommy Pope and Kris Wampler – took part in the forum.

Mullikin not only criticized Huffmon’s perceived personal views, he said his “bias” has infected the Winthrop Poll, which Huffmon directs.

In September, the Winthrop Poll registered 42 percent support for Trump among South Carolina voters versus 38 percent for Hillary Clinton, a finding in line with other polls at the time. Trump won the race in South Carolina by a margin of 15 points, 55 to 40 percent.

Since the election, the Winthrop Poll has recorded low approval ratings for Trump among S.C. residents. A February poll found 44 percent of state residents approved of the president’s performance versus 47 percent who disapproved.

Nationally, most other polls also have found that Trump is suffering from low approval ratings.

However, Mullikin said the Winthrop Polls are “creating false narratives about President Trump’s support in South Carolina.”

“I have no interest in having debate questions filtered through and paraphrased by someone who is so out of touch with the significant genuine pro-Trump attitude of voters in the 5th District,” he said.

Asked about Mullikin’s comments, Huffmon said, “It was a shame he didn’t attend (the forum).”

“I thought we had an interesting and informative discussion, where the audience posed questions about immigration, jobs, security, faith,” Huffmon said. “The Republican entities that organized the event didn’t have a problem with it.”

Mullikin is one of several candidates in the 5th District hoping to identify themselves with Trump. His Facebook page includes photos of Mullikin with the president at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.

Clyburn, the younger, in Columbia

Federal Communications Commission commissioner Mignon Clyburn dropped by Columbia Friday to speak at a small- business event but did not directly address a question about whether she is eying her father’s seat in Congress.

Clyburn, whose second FCC term ends in June, has been mentioned in a laundry list of possible candidates to eventually succeed U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn. The 76-year-old Columbia Democrat has not indicated he will give up his seat anytime soon. (Think the Democratic version of Strom Thurmond.)

Mignon Clyburn, 54, told reporters that whatever she does next will be a “continuation of public service.” Before the question was posed by a reporter, she spoke at length about continuing her advocacy for expanding broadband access and tele-health to underserved communities.

This story was originally published March 11, 2017 at 1:13 PM with the headline "5th District candidate boycotts debate to debate role of moderator."