SC GOP Primary Officially Gets Nasty

McMaster and Templeton Attack Ads Start Flying

The gloves are coming off in South Carolina’s Republican primary. In the last few days, Catherine Templeton and Henry McMaster launched attack videos against each other, foreshadowing the nasty and expensive primary that is about to ensue.
First, a dark money group backing Templeton attacked McMaster as a “Good Ol’ Boy,” alluding to the McMaster’s ties to the statehouse corruption investigation and SCANA nuclear scandal. Then, McMaster responded with a video of his own claiming Templeton was backed by anti-Trump forces and was lying about her conservative credentials.
This fight is not going to be cheap either. Both candidates had more than $2 million in the back at the start of the year, and they’re going to have to spend it. One of their opponents, John Warren, has said he’s willing to make the “necessary financial commitment” to compete with the other two.
“This is the start of a very expensive and negative race and that’s bad news for South Carolina Republicans,” said DGA Deputy Press Secretary Alex Japko. “From scandals and corruption, to flip-flops and lies, these candidates have a ton of vulnerabilities, and their opponents have the money to exploit them. Whoever limps out of the primary will have a damaged reputation and an empty bank account.”