STATEWIDE OFFICIAL WON’T CHALLENGE NIKKI HALEY
Barring any unexpected shifts in the Palmetto political landscape S.C. Treasurer Curtis Loftis will seek reelection to his post in 2014, sources close to the statewide official tell FITS.
“Curtis feels he is making real progress in bringing reform to the state’s pension fund and transparency and accountability to state government,” a Loftis aide told FITS. “But there is much left to be done.”
That assessment is accurate. Loftis is doing the Lord’s work with regard to our state’s inefficient, underperforming retirement fund – exposing corruption and insisting that fund managers make better deals on behalf of taxpayers. But he’s encountering stiff resistance in his efforts – and relaxing the pressure to run for governor would mean sacrificing plenty of hard-earned ground.
Obviously Loftis’ decision means he won’t be challenging S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley in a 2014 Republican gubernatorial primary – a door he previously had left wide open. In fact Loftis previously stated that he would run against Haley in the event no other viable Republican challenger stepped forward.
Depending on which poll you trust, Haley’s current approval rating among Republican voters is between 60-70 percent. However as we noted in a previous report, focus group research has revealed her GOP support to be exceedingly flaccid.
“Her voters aren’t motivated,” one South Carolina Republican consultant acknowledged. ”And they express many of the same doubts (regarding) her character that Democrats and independents express.”
In other words if a Republican challenger were able to raise enough money to expose Haley’s numerous ideological betrayals, she could be in real trouble.
Obviously any GOP challenge to Haley could prove fatal to her already tenuous general election prospects. According to one recent poll, Haley is trailing her 2010 Democratic opponent Vincent Sheheen by a 46-44 percent margin. Sheheen is expected to run against Haley again in 2014.
There’s also a growing sense that Haley will face a third party challenge from a fiscal conservative in the 2014 general election, a scenario which would likely prove fatal to her reelection bid.
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24 comments
“GOP support to be exceedingly flaccid”
Same could be said of this story
Are you telling me with all your wit and parse, you could not come up with just ONE measly linkage with Willie’s flaccid willy? You sir, are slipping.
This is great news! LOFTIS is far and away the best guy we have elected in years and his desiccation to stay put, if accurate, is welcome.
Go get them Curt!
Wow.
He could be beat Haley if he wanted especially since he could and would write the check to do it.
If true this is a significant event and if true shows real character in that he wants to finish a job started and not hop to the top.
But I heard he ain’t happy with the pace of reform at investment Commission and is working overtime on it.
I work closely with the head of a major state agency. He told us to make reforms in our accounting and finance department because he did not want “da Treasurer” coming through his door.
Evidently Loftis has a habit of showing up at agency heads offices and having frank conversations. He’ll yea, we need more conversation like that!
But have you asked Loftis? You did not mention that.
Dear Herschel,
This is truly horrifying news. 6 more years of Loftis holding us accountable and making us do things like report the fees we pay to our buddies! Damnit! No more private jets, stays at the Waldorf Hilton in London, no more limos and rounds of golf at luxury resorts! This is truly awful.
I guess we should get a memo together for staff. This accounting for every public dollar we oversee bullshit is really a downer.
Here’s to hoping he changes his mind!
-Reynolds
PS I’m sure we could squirrel away a few million to persuade him if need be! Remember, we know how to hide information well.
Now that is funny stuff.
I had my heart set on Loftis being Gov but he knows best what to do. Now what we need is a GOP ticket that is just as good. I am tired of voting for the same old hacks or people that act just like them. Lets get that fresh set of eyes we were promised. Lets really work for smaller and more efficient government. Lets be real conservatives. We got a great start in Loftis as Treasurer so let’s get moving.
As if our founder were playing Johnny Carson as “Carnac the Magnificent”, this prediction smacks of typical Columbia gamesmanship.
At the same time the treasurer may be “doing the Lord’s work”, he is also working, and working hard, for the taxpayers and citizens of the state. He appears to be less concerned with “positioning” himself, than with honoring the responsibilities of the position to which he was elected and entrusted.
The advantage that Curtis has with the voters is–1) that he is an honest and forthright man; 2) he’s damn smart and stubborn; 3) it’s obvious that he cares that small, efficient, cost-effective, necessary government operates for the benefit of the citizens of South Carolina–and NOT for a cohort of political narcissists, who angle their careers in public service for personal profit or advancement.
As Carnac might have said in response to the answer “It’d just be like pest control”: Can Curtis Loftis get rid of Haley?
Can a State Treasurer clean up the state government better than a Governor could?
Please. What is the real reason?
No one wants to sleep in that bed.
“Can a State Treasurer clean up the state government better than a Governor could? ”
I’m starting to believe that is the case.
Who’s the fellow on the left?
The only reason the severely narcissistic Loftis decided not to run in that Haley would clean his clock. BTW, as for him cleaning up the Investment Commission, he is creating more problems than he is worth. As a retired public employee I want him to stay away from my money. I trust Williams more than the sophmoronic grandstander Loftis and I don’t trust Williams.
Liberals-democrats ARE and Should be SCARED to Death of Loftis. He’s about Conservative policy…not trying to get along w/ democrats…
You HATE that…and if the GOP starts running true Conservatives…They’ll NEVER lose another election…
Come on…”clean his clock?” Are you paying attention?
It’s a bad day if this turns out to be true about Loftis.
I’ll lead a DRAFT Loftis campaign….
A report that Loftis NOT running…and Sanford is…on the same day…
Hmmmmm…looks like somebody’s fishing…
Will anyone challenge Eckstrom?
Somebody…anybody…hopefully. Another embarassment.
It will be a sad day if Saggy Sack Eckstrom gets back into office.
Somebody oppose this freak!
Loftis has no support for any other office. He STILL has a debt of $600,000 from his first race. He can’t raise any money…and his 15 minutes are about up.
I know Curt well. Against everyones advice Curt made the decision not to raise money and work 60 hours a week at the Treasurer gig. Ask anyone that works with him and they will tell you he often is at work by 5 or 6 in the morning and stays till at least till 6 in the evening. And he works those hours on The weekend too. He was adamant that that there was to much work to do and that he swore an oath to the people and not to himself so he went to work.
He says he will start raising money after the first of the year and like everything else he does he will do it well.
The only clock that Nikki Haley is capable of cleaning is a cuckoo clock that displays correct time but twice a day.
I will suggest that were the formulation “and if the GOP starts running true Conservatives…they’ll NEVER lose another election…” correct (and it is), then Loftis is its avatar. Regarding his fundraising, the pens are poised; the checks will be in the mail. They need only a nod.
It’s high time SC state government was subjected to adult supervision.
Even its last “severely conservative” governor, Mark Sanford (and the previous elected state treasurer, for that matter) turned out to be damned juvenile.
Curtis is a hard working guy that is dedicated to his job. He works those crazy hours and feels lucky for the opportunity to serve. He has his haters but everybody does especially in politics. I voted for him and will do so again.