SC-1 Special: Haley sets dates

[RogueBeaver]

Primary March 19, runoff April 2 and general for May 7. First candidate to opt out: Paul Thurmond, who just got elected to the State Senate in November.

http://www3.atr.rollcall.com/south-carolina-haley-sets-1st-district-special-date/

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Technically, Haley didn't set the dates, she just announced them.  South Carolina law gives her zero wiggle room.  The primary must be on the eleventh Tuesday following the vacancy, the runoff must be on the thirteenth, and the general on the eighteenth. (Unless that would put the special election sixty days or less before a general election, in which case it would be held concurrent with the general election.)  If one of those Tuesdays were a state holiday, then the election would be delayed a week.

[There is one small flaw in the system.  This past year, if there had been a vacancy to filled by a special election that occurred between October 9 and 15 inclusive, the eleventh Tuesday would have been Christmas Day, a holiday, which would have pushed the primary election to New Year's Day, another holiday, so it would be pushed again to January 8, which is also the date of the runoff, if needed.]

[Miles]

Despite his personal damage, Roll Call is dubbing Sanford the "frontrunner" due to name rec and his early fundraising.

[krazen1211]

Despite his personal damage, Roll Call is dubbing Sanford the "frontrunner" due to name rec and his early fundraising.

Well, he will make a runoff, yes.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Despite his personal damage, Roll Call is dubbing Sanford the "frontrunner" due to name rec and his early fundraising.

Well, he will make a runoff, yes.

At this point, Rep. Sanford is about as likely as Sen. Beasley was in 2004.

[CatoMinor]

What were Sanfords approvals before his "hiking" trip?