Race boasts rising Republican

Web posted October 30, 1998

 Candidate profiles

Associated Press

COLUMBIA -- South Carolina's lieutenant governor's race pits a rising Republican incumbent against a Democrat who hopes a political comeback will help resurrect his party.

NEWS

•Nasty campaign •Organized gambling

PREVIOUS REPORTS

•Gov. candidates travel •Inglis donor wants money back •Voter turnout •Hollings visits Aiken •Registration swells •Beasley visits Aiken •GOP to control House •Lt. governor's race •Education issues in backseat •GOP wants control •Beasley targeted •Hodges & lottery •Hollings, Inglis debate •Spence challenger •Hodges Aiken visit •Poker ad lawsuit •Eckstrom, Tennenbaum

If he is re-elected, Republican incumbent Bob Peeler will not rule out a run for governor in four years, though no lieutenant governor has taken the top job since John West in 1970.

Democrat Nick Theodore tried that four years ago and lost to current Gov. David Beasley in the Republican sweep that gave the GOP control of most state offices. But he's back trying for the No. 2 job he held from 1986-94 because he says he doesn't like the direction the state is going.

There also is a Libertarian candidate, Daniel O'Neal.

``You have a lieutenant governor that no one has any real negative opinions of and you've got a Democratic challenger who has name recognition, who has a base and who is familiar with the issues,'' said Clemson University political scientist Bruce Ransom. ``It can be very competitive.''

Mr. Peeler is a 46-year-old dairy operator and former school board chairman from Gaffney who won on his first try in 1994, running as a businessman promising leaner government.

``I continue to get government down to business and that's what I would do in the second term,'' he said.

Mr. Peeler talks about how he reduced his budget by about $260,000 a year and about the performance audits he pushed that found potential savings in other departments.

He drives to events in his red Chevrolet pickup truck without chauffeurs or security officers -- and, of course, there's the trademark fiberglass cow from his dairy that shows up at strategic spots.

This time around Mr. Peeler has adopted the general GOP theme of doing away with the state's auto property tax and he wants uniformed police in every school.

The 70-year-old Theodore recently sold his Greenville insurance business. He said he was comfortably retired from politics, but came back after watching ``South Carolina government degenerate into a mess that is partisan bickering and attacks.''

He favors a state-run lottery to help fund the schools and wants to establish university centers across the state to make higher education more accessible and affordable.

Mr. O'Neal, a 45-year-old retired Air Force pilot from Mount Pleasant, said he wants a drastic reduction in all taxes. He supports a lottery only if the state is not the only operator and he does not want to ban video gambling.

The candidates say they will use the post as a pulpit to work with lawmakers to get their initiatives passed, but the lieutenant governor in most cases is powerless. The lieutenant governor presides over the Senate, but has no vote and no longer selects Senate negotiators on conference committees.

Theodore's Upstate political ties could be valuable to the Democrats.

``Democrats will not carry the Upstate, but they need to do better than they have in the past if they expect to have any success statewide,'' Mr. Ransom said.

Candidate profiles

DANIEL O'NEAL

Party: Libertarian

Age: 43

Residence: Mount Pleasant, S.C.

Occupation: Retired Air Force pilot.

Education: Bachelor's degrees from Miami of Ohio and the University of Maryland. Master's degree from University of Southern California.

Political experience: None.

Family: Single.

BOB PEELER

Party: Republican

Age: 46

Residence: Gaffney, S.C.

Occupation: Owns Peeler's Dairy with his father, Smith Peeler, and two brothers, state Sen. Harvey Peeler and Bill Peeler.

Education: Bachelor's degrees from Limestone College and Clemson University.

Political experience: Former school board chairman. As lieutenant governor, initiated performance audits to find potential savings by streamlining state agency services. Wants to eliminate car tax.

Family: Wife, Bett Carter; two children.

NICK THEODORE

Party: Democrat

Age: 70

Residence: Greenville, S.C.

Occupation: Retired insurance business owner.

Education: Graduated from Furman University.

Political experience: Lieutenant governor 1986-94; state senator 1967-68 and 1981-86; state representative 1963-66 and 1969-78. Lost narrowly for governor to Republican David Beasley in 1994.

Family: Wife, Emilie Demosthenes; three children.