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Gubernatorial candidates make their last pitches to voters Posted: Jun 07, 2010 5:55 PM EDT Updated: Jun 07, 2010 6:45 PM EDT

By Jack Kuenzie - bio | email and Susan-Eliz abeth Littlefield - bio | email

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - The Republican and Democratic candidates for governor have spent the last 24 hours of campaigning all over the state for the primary election. As they head toward the vote Tuesday night, the candidates are making their last pitches to voters.

Down in the latest poll, but never out, Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer traveled the state.

"Whoever the next governor is, they are going to have to be tireless," said Bauer. "And I think you've seen the fact that the last three days, I've covered all 46 counties. Up till over 3 o-clock last night, back on the road at six this morning. There is absolutely nobody that can outwork me. We need that type of determination and dedication in the governor's office."

Scrambling to at least make a runoff, if there is one, Attorney General Henry McMaster went statewide with an optimistic message about the state's future and his own track record of accomplishment.

"In fact of all the candidates, I've gotten more important legislation passed, major legislation passed and accomplished and put into place and executed that all my opponents put together," said McMaster.

At number two in one of the latest polls is Congressman Gresham Barrett, whose team is strategizing how to handle a potential runoff.

"My strategy personally is to run through the tape tomorrow," said Barrett. "Just to work as hard as we can to ensure that we get to the runoff. My political gurus and those guys, now they're thinking ahead, they're getting all that stuff ready. I'll let them worry about that. I'm worried about finishing strong tomorrow."

With the three other candidates focusing on jockeying for second place, the front- runner, state Rep. Nikki Haley, had no campaign plans for Monday. But she did have a robo-call to voters from former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

"Nikki is a strong, pro-life, pro-business conservative reformer," says Palin in the recording. "And she isn't afraid to take on the entrenched powers. Now when you do that, they come after you with all kinds of made-up nonsense to try to knock you down. Believe me. I've been there."

On the opposite side of the political coin, the three Democrats seeking term-limited Gov. Mark Sanford's job were making campaign stops all day.

In more than 20 years, only one Democrat has been able to call himself Governor of South Carolina. This year, three men are working hard to break that record.

Each of the candidates know how to win elections -- Jim Rex is the state Superintendent of Education, and Vincent Sheheen and Robert Ford are both state senators.

Sheheen spent his morning in Sumter, while Rex spent his at Mac's on Main in Columbia. Ford spent the afternoon in Darlington.

State Democratic Party Chair Carol Fowler says the Democratic campaigns have been clean compared to the Republican contest.

"I am astounded that these Republican politicians are so tone-deaf that they don't realize that the voters don't want to hear personal attacks," said Fowler. "They want to hear candidates addressing the needs of the people of this state."

While Republicans are talking about each other's personal lives, Fowler says Democrats are talking about platforms. "The Democratic candidates for governor are talking about jobs and education, and they're staying away from these personal attacks," she said.

Sheheen has legislative experience, including standing up to Gov. Sanford to accept South Carolina's stimulus money. Rex is the only Democrat elected to statewide office, and says he knows how to work with a GOP-dominated legislature. Ford also has legislative experience, and says he wants to tackle the budget deficit by legalizing video poker.

Fowler says a runoff between Sheheen and Rex is possible, but that no matter what, when it comes down to how campaigns have been run this year, her party will come out on top/

"The Republicans can talk from now 'til November about taking lie detector tests," said Fowler, "but we'll be talking about jobs and the economy and our public schools."

The state's last Democratic governor, Jim Hodges, said he thinks the drama in the GOP race might be working against Democrats. He says when it comes to getting attention, the Republicans are taking up all the air in the room.