OK, this is old news (June 14), but I missed it until a release from Vincent Sheheen celebrating it brought it to my attention today.
The Fix over at The Washington Post has listed South Carolina’s as the 7th most competitive gubernatorial race in 2014:
7. South Carolina (R): Democrats are surprisingly optimistic about the re-run candidacy of Vincent Sheheen against Gov. Nikki Haley (R) despite the clear GOP lean of the Palmetto State. Haley won with an unimpressive 51 percent against Sheheen in 2010 and has struggled mightily in her first term. Sheheen will get more attention (and likely money) from national Democrats this time around but Haley and her team know they are in for a fight. And, it’s still South Carolina in the second midterm election of a Democratic president. (Previous ranking: 8)
By the way, here’s an excerpt to Politico’s above-linked earlier (May 12) story about Nikki’s “rocky” term in office:
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley rode into office in 2011 on a Republican wave as the first female and first Indian-American governor of the state — a rising GOP star with national potential.
Two-and-a-half bruising years later, she has a fight on her hands just to get reelected.
After winning a nasty 2010 primary with heavy tea party support and Sarah Palin’s blessing, Haley encountered the complex realities of governing without the full support of her own party. A hacking scandal that exposed millions of taxpayers’ financial data, her contentious dealings with the legislature, and high unemployment in the Palmetto State have taken a toll on the 41-year-old’s popularity.
Though she remains the favorite for reelection next year — South Carolina is solid Republican territory, and the employment picture has brightened lately — polling suggests Haley is not a shoo-in for a second term…
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