South Carolina Runoff: Nikki Haley, Gresham Barrett To Compete For Republican Governor's Nomination

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina legislator Nikki Haley has weathered unsubstantiated claims of physical relationships with two men to advance to a Republican primary runoff with U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett.

Haley nearly won Tuesday's primary outright, but fell just short of the majority needed to avoid the June 22 runoff. The winner will face Democratic state Sen. Vincent Sheheen in November.

The adultery claims against Haley seemed only to solidify support for the 38-year-old mother of two. She is trying to become the first woman to win a party's nomination for governor in South Carolina.

Haley was at the back of the pack until she picked up an endorsement by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin last month.

The winner in the fall will replace term-limited Gov. Mark Sanford.

Comments

[peacegurl48]

03:12 PM on 06/09/2010

You'd think that a Palin endorsement would send people running the other way but this is South Carolina.

[Scentedflower]

02:40 PM on 06/09/2010

One more Rag head remark, she is sure to win the Repub nomination.

[Frustrated in PA]

12:29 PM on 06/09/2010

This is such a waste of money. Like Arkansas too. In fairness, Haley was in a race with 3 other people so it is difficult to fathom how anyone would get 50% of the vote. It is split too much. But she beat him by 20 percentage points......that is HUGE! Seems like a waste of time and money.

[captainindustry]

12:22 PM on 06/09/2010

Ok then. She is guilty of having affairs. Personally, I have no problem with that, and I would vote for her.

Lying to your spouse and embarassing your kids, that's all part of having an affair.

Lots of great presidents had affairs. Probably most of them. I think it is the natural state of affairs.

Strengthens the marriage.

[murphy20]

11:04 AM on 06/09/2010

Will Folks provided the most recent text messages regarding the Nikki Haley thing, as well as his logs from his late night calls with Nikki Haley during their affair.

Folks endorsed her before he had to admit to the affair, & still backs her. He was on her payroll in 2008.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0510/Haley_accuser_was_on_payroll.html

And yeah, he was told there are pictures, which is why he came out with it before they printed them. He wasn't married at the time & Ms. Haley was.

Will Folks' emails:
http://www.fitsnews.com/2010/05/26/haley-gate-the-storm-before-the-storm/

Logs of Haley/Folks late night phone calls during the affair:
http://www.fitsnews.com/2010/05/28/haley-gate-night-calls/

[SethBLiNK]

10:51 AM on 06/09/2010

"Forced into a runoff" makes it sound like her competitors took a chunk out of her. She got twice as many votes as her nearest competitor.

[tennisi11]

12:04 PM on 06/09/2010

It's sad that SC can't find a good Republican candidate for governor. We have a runoff between a cheater (Haley) and a hater (Barrett). What promise for SC! Go Sheheen!

[colah]

05:52 PM on 06/09/2010

"She got twice as many votes as her nearest competitor."
Im thinking it was the "Vote for Nikki & Get A Free Handjob" bumper-stickers........

[King Keith]

10:24 AM on 06/09/2010

Nikki Haley the female Bobby Jindal hooray for self hate!

[murphy20]

10:43 AM on 06/09/2010

Who care what her ethnic background is, she's Mark Sanford in a dress-and that characterization came out loooong before the latest rounds of accusations came up.

[JTHC75]

05:32 PM on 06/09/2010

Um, what?

[1jdgriff]

10:22 AM on 06/09/2010

South Carolina, late night's gift that keeps on giving!

[MizLiz]

10:32 AM on 06/09/2010

Check out John Stewart's "Daily Show" on the Comedy Channel.....this is like filet mignon for him...

[Triple Bottomline]

10:07 AM on 06/09/2010

this guy reminds me of elton john

[Abraxas79]

10:04 AM on 06/09/2010

Well the affairs do not seem to be hurting her numbers much. Perhaps she should have a few more to lock up the nomination and the future office. They never seemed to slow down Clinton much. Perhaps the US is evolving to the level of sophistication of European politics where affairs are not only condoned but serial adulterers much admired (ie; Burlesconi).

[Tecmage]

10:12 AM on 06/09/2010

US politics has moved that far. You would think that Haley would have been hurt by the allegations- especially after Gov. Hikingtrail. Clinton was hurt by allegations, but the same people who were used Clinton's allegations against him are the same people supporting Haley.

[murphy20]

10:28 AM on 06/09/2010

well said.

[confused most times]

10:29 AM on 06/09/2010

Clinton's allegations were FACT - anything against Haley are just ALLEGATIONS.

[tennisi11]

09:47 AM on 06/09/2010

After all, I guess Nikki learned from our current governor. Like Mark, like Nikki! Losers!

[tennisi11]

09:43 AM on 06/09/2010

South Carolina is so moronic. I live here and can't believe it. We vote for an unknown Alvin Greene, good for him though, we vote for a virtually unknown Nikki Haley who was endorsed by another moronic figure, Sarah Palin (hard for me to even type that name) and then she has to have a runoff with Gresham Barrett who came out with a commercial touting how much he hated Barack Obama. So let's see, we have a nobody, a liar and cheater and then we have a hater. South Carolina should be so proud of themselves. Go Sheheen for Governor!

[jillclaire]

09:35 AM on 06/09/2010

if the allegations are true, the pics and texts will come out before June 22.

[captainindustry]

08:31 AM on 06/09/2010

I'd feel more comfortable is she were suing for slander and libel.

[MizLiz]

10:34 AM on 06/09/2010

She doesn't have to. Do you actually believe she would risk her career and marriage for either of those two idiots? Puh-leeze.

[captainindustry]

12:18 PM on 06/09/2010

she did. She did them both. You convinced me.

[KarateKid]

08:08 AM on 06/09/2010

Jim Davenport must be a Palin shill. Good journalism there, Jim.

"Haley was at the back of the pack until she picked up an endorsement by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin last month."

Yeah right.

[captainindustry]

08:29 AM on 06/09/2010

more like, "Haley was running such a strong campaign that a self-serving endorsement by Sarah Palin couldn't derail Haley's momentous run."