S.C. politics

Veteran S.C. GOP operative to run Rubio PAC

Veteran S.C. political strategist Warren Tompkins has been tapped to run the political organization that will back U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio if the Florida Republican decides to run for president.

Media consultant and pollster Jon Lerner, a top adviser to the campaigns of S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley and former Gov. Mark Sanford, also will join the Conservative Solutions PAC, the organization said Thursday.

Rubio has a “big announcement” Monday at the Freedom Tower in Miami and is expected to announce he will seek the GOP nomination.

A veteran of seven GOP presidential primary campaigns, Tompkins will direct the PAC. It is authorized to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money in support of Rubio as long as there is no coordination with the candidate.

Tompkins, a partner in Columbia’s First Tuesday Strategies, also worked as a consultant for Mitt Romney’s S.C. GOP presidential primary campaign and for Republican U.S. Sens. Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint.

Haley, Scott and Staley slated to speak at USC commencement

Gov. Nikki Haley, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott and Gamecocks women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley will address University of South Carolina graduates next month.

Haley, R-Lexington, will speak at the May 8 commencement ceremony for business, communications, nursing, pharmacy and public health graduates.

Scott, R-North Charleston, will address graduates of the honors college and arts and sciences programs on May 9.

Both Haley and Scott will receive honorary degrees.

Also, on May 9, USC’s Staley, who made Gamecock history taking her team to the NCAA Final Four this year, will address graduates in education, engineering and computing, hospitality, retail and sports management, music, social work and interdisciplinary programs, and Fort Jackson and Palmetto College graduates.

Other May commencement ceremonies include:

USC School of Law: Robert J. Grey Jr., former president of the American Bar Association and executive director of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity

USC Sumter: State Rep. Murrell Smith, R-Sumter

USC Aiken: Ken Starr, former federal judge and Clinton-era Whitewater prosecutor

This story was originally published April 9, 2015 at 10:56 PM with the headline "S.C. politics."