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| GOP state Rep. Scott defeats Thurmond |
| 2010-06-24 |
| State Rep. Tim Scott took a step toward history Tuesday night, handily locking up the Republican nomination for the 1st Congressional District. His 3-1 win over his former Charleston County Council colleague Paul Thurmond makes him likely to become the first black Republican to serve in Congress since J.C. Watts of Oklahoma retired six years ago. With all five counties reporting, Scott had won about 68 percent of the vote to Thurmond's 32 percent. In Horry and Georgetown counties, where Thurmond had garnered a lot of support from local candidates, Scott still won by a smaller margin with about 56 percent of the vote in both counties. If these unofficial results hold and Scott also wins on Nov. 2, he would become the first black Republican elected to Congress from the Deep South since Reconstruction. During their campaign, both Scott and Thurmond, whose late father had a record-setting Senate career that included early opposition to integration, played down the historical implications of their race. "This election is about our future as a country," Scott told his cheering supporters. "This election is about finding a way to bring us together so our country continues to lead the world on every front possible." Thurmond's father, Strom Thurmond, is remembered in part for his 1948 presidential bid as a segregationist "Dixiecrat" almost three decades before Paul Thurmond was born. Thurmond avoided interviews from national journalists exploring that angle. After the polls closed, Thurmond said any candidate who defeats eight others in an extended primary contest is legitimate. "It has nothing to do with their skin. It's about their ability to connect with the people," he said. Thurmond, 34, said of Scott, "If some bridges are torn down because of this, that's a great thing." Scott's big win is a bright spot for national Republicans trying to diversify their party. While Michael Steele, the first black to head the Republican National Committee, recruited 32 African-American candidates, most have lost or are expected to lose. Andy Sere, spokesman for the National Republican Campaign Committee, said Scott didn't bring his race into the campaign but instead stressed his conservative message. The NRCC remained neutral, but former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, former Alaska Gov. and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, and the Club for Growth lined up behind Scott. "There's been a lot of excitement about his candidacy, especially in the last two weeks, in the national Republican ranks," Sere said. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 Club For Growth really picked some good ones to support this year. |
| Posted by: eLarson 2010-06-24 07:30 |