COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP/WCIV) - Gov. Nikki Haley has announced the names of 164 people who have agreed to help her get re-elected, even while reiterating she won't decide until this summer whether she'll seek a second term.
Haley said in a statement that state Republican Party Chairman Chad Connelly will serve as chairman of a statewide grassroots steering committee.
The Republican governor named 164 local volunteers who will spread her message. The committee consists of at least one person from each of the 46 counties.
"Governor
Haley has made clear that she will wait until the summer before deciding whether
to run for re-election," said Kurt Pickhardt, Governor Haley's political
director. "However, she has instructed our team to get prepared in the event
that she does run, and today, we are releasing the names of those who have
generously agreed to serve on the Haley Grassroots Steering Committee. This
amazing group is made up of 164 people from all 46 counties, and we are
enormously grateful for this outpouring of support even before our campaign is
up and running. I have no doubt that this great group of men and women will
provide an invaluable backbone to our efforts to spread Governor Haley's message
of jobs, reform, and a brighter future for South Carolina. It's a great day in
South Carolina!"
The announcement comes four months after former chief of staff Tim Pearson left that post to head up her possible run.
"Governor
Haley has done a tremendous job over the past two years," said Chairman
Connelly. "It is my honor to join grassroots leaders from across the state in
standing with the governor. Under the governor's leadership, we have said 'no'
to President Obama's spending spree, 'no' to Washington mandates and 'no' to big
union bosses. South Carolina is on the move - investment is up, unemployment is
down, and people around the country are talking about South Carolina as the new
'It' state."
"When
it comes to recruiting new business for our state and encouraging economic
growth, the governor is second to none," said South Carolina Republican Party
National Committeeman Glenn McCall from York County. "With the unemployment
rate's steady decline ever since she took office, South Carolina is on the path
back to becoming a powerhouse state for economic development because of her
leadership. Governor Haley truly is the ‘Jobs Governor.'"
"The
governor has made it abundantly clear that her first priority is jobs," said
South Carolina Republican Party First Vice Chairwoman Lin Bennett from
Charleston. "Whether she's fighting for Boeing, saving The Heritage golf
tournament in Hilton Head, or selling our state's rich culture and beautiful
vacation destinations to tourists, Governor Haley is our state's best
cheerleader."
Members
of Gov. Haley's committee include:
Abbeville
Steve
Maxwell, U.S. Army, Retired
Aiken
Joanne
Coffaro, Women of Woodside President
Tony
Coffaro, Former Aiken Republican Club President
Dick
Dewar, City Councilman
Steve
Homoki, City Councilman
Zee
Homoki, Former S.C. ETV Commissioner
Robert
Prendergast, Republican leader
Carol
Sue Roberts, Republican leader
KT
Ruthven, Aiken County Republican Party Committeeman
Dennis
Saylor, Aiken County Republican Party Chairman
Bauer
Vaughters, Republican leader
Dee
Dee Vaughters, Republican leader
Allendale
Ron
Lanter, Allendale County Republican Party Committeeman
Anderson
Dan
Harvell, Anderson County Republican Party Chairman
Hubert
McClure, Republican leader
Bamberg
Dan
Luginbill, Bamberg County Republican Party Chairman
Barnwell
Ben
Kinlaw, Former Barnwell County Republican Party Chairman
Beaufort
Mary
Amonitti, Former President of the Republican Women of Southern Beaufort
County
Bonnie
Canova, activist
Judy
Dobrei, activist
Jerry
Hallman, Beaufort County Republican Party Chairman
Tom
Hatfield, Hilton Head Island First Monday Republican Club Co-Founder
Lauren
Martel, South Carolina Republican Party First Congressional District
Secretary
Taylor
Mason, University of South Carolina at Beaufort College Republicans
Chairman
Doug
Novak, activist
Blane
Raley, activist
Sandra
Reed, activist
Charlie
Reed, activist
James
Wedgworth, Republican leader
Berkeley
Jim
Davis, South Carolina Republican Party First Congressional District
Chairman
Terry
Hardesty, Berkeley County Republican Party Committeeman
Ben
Huckaby, activist
Lisa
Shealy, activist
Calhoun
Larry
Jordan, Calhoun County Republican Party Chairman
Charleston
Lin
Bennett, South Carolina Republican Party First Vice Chairwoman, Charleston
County Republican Party Chairwoman
Cindy
Costa, South Carolina Republican Party National Committeewoman
Belinda
Roberts, Charleston Republican Women President
Lanneau
Seigling, Charleston County Republican Party Committeeman
Mark
Smith, East Cooper Republican Club President
Cherokee
Scott
Ramsey, Republican leader
Chester
Nancy
C. Anderson, Chester County Republican Party Chairman
Drew
Johnson, South Carolina Republican Party Fifth Congressional District
Chairman
Lorraine
Povlick, Republican leader
Sandra
Stroman, Chester County Republican Party Committeewoman
Chesterfield
Glenn
Gulledge, Chesterfield County Republican Party Committeeman
Jack
Parker, Chesterfield County Republican Party Chairman
Danny
Wilkerson, Republican leader
Pat
Wilkerson, Republican leader
Clarendon
Moye
Graham, Clarendon County Republican Party Chairman
Colleton
Janis
Blocker, Colleton County Republican Party Chairwoman
Mary
Anne Cannady, Republican leader
Cal
Griffin, Colleton County Republican Party Committeeman
Darlington
Matthew
Blewitt, Former Pee Dee Young Republicans Chairman
Le
Flowers, Darlington County Republican Party Chairman
Dillon
Myrna
Garris, Dillon County Republican Party Chairwoman
Dorchester
Jordan
Bryngelson, Former Dorchester County Republican Party Committeeman
Carroll
Duncan, Dorchester County Republican Party Chairwoman
Wiley
Johnson, Dorchester County Republican Party Committeeman
Bill
Spearman, activist
Aaron
Wagner, activist
Edgefield
Rodney
Ashcraft, Edgefield County Republican Party Chairman
Fairfield
Kevin
Thomas, Fairfield County Republican Party Chairman
Florence
Elijah
Jones, Former South Carolina Republican Party Seventh Congressional District
Chairman
Susan
Minck, Republican leader
Bill
Pickle, Florence County Republican Party Chairman
Renee
Woodberry, Republican leader
Georgetown
Randy
Hollister, Republican leader
Jim
Jerow, Georgetown County Republican Party Chairman
Joyce
Jerow, Georgetown County Republican Party Committeewoman
Ted
Quantz, Republican leader
Jerry
Rovner, South Carolina Republican Party Seventh Congressional District
Chairman
Greenville
Erica
Christian, South Carolina Federation of Young Republicans Secretary
Anna
Cochran, Upstate Young Republicans Secretary
Roan
Garcia-Quintana, Republican leader
James
Gibney, South Carolina Young Republicans State Committeeman
Dan
Herren, South Carolina Republican Party Treasurer, Greenville County Republican
Party Committeeman
Nate
Leupp, Upstate Young Republicans President
Kaaren
Mann, Golden Strip Republican Women President
Wayne
Middleton, Conservative activist leader
Betty
Poe, Greenville County Republican Party Chairwoman
Debbie
Spaugh, Greenville County Republican Women President
Andrew
Smith, South Carolina Federation of College Republicans Vice Chairman
Greenwood
JoAnn
Burroughs, Greenwood County Republican Party Committeewoman
Anne
Hancock, Retired educator, President of the Republican Women of Greenwood
County
Hampton
Gail
Burris, Hampton County Republican Party Committeewoman
Skeet
Burris, Hampton County Republican Party Chairman
Horry
Johnny
Bellamy, Horry County Republican Party Chairwoman
Adam
Cates, South Carolina Federation of Young Republicans Chairman
Terry
Fletcher, Horry County Republican Party Committeeman
Ron
Hughes, CMSGT (retired)
Gerri
McDaniel, Conservative activist
Camille
Noonan, Myrtle Beach Republican Women President
Jasper
Joseph
Arzillo, Jasper County Republican Party Committeeman
Joseph
Brown, Republican leader
Duane
Swygert, Jasper County Republican Party Chairman
Kershaw
Kim
Demer, Kershaw Republican Women President
Sheri
Few, Former Kershaw County Republican Party Committeewoman
Chris
Oviatt, Kershaw County Republican Party Chairman
Shelby
Price, Kershaw County Republican Committeewoman
Lancaster
Donnie
Jones, Lancaster County Republican Party Committeeman
Bill
McGarry, Patriot Voices County Coordinator
Sandy
McGarry, Lancaster County Republican Party Chairwoman, Patriot Voices State
Chair
Sal
Rao, Republican leader
Laurens
Dianne
Belsom, Laurens County Tea Party President
John
Henley, Laurens County Republican Party Chairman
Laura
Nowell, Presbyterian College College Republicans President
Wendell
Satterfield, Laurens County Republican Party Chairman Committeeman
Lee
Sam
Cerezo, Lee County Republican Party Committeeman
Lexington
Craig
V. Adams, Conservative Activist, Minister, and Founder of the Midland
Patriot
Rich
Bolen, Former Lexington County Republican Party Chairman
Tony
Denny, Former South Carolina Republican Party Executive Director
Mike
Green, Republican leader
Deb
Kelderman, West Metro Republican Women President
Allen
Olson, Former Columbia Tea Party President
Randy
Page, South Carolina Republican Party Second Congressional District
Chairman
Marion
Eric
Fry, Marion County Republican Party Chairman
Marlboro
Patrick
Coxe, Marlboro County Republican Party Chairman
Pete
Robyn, Republican leader
McCormick
Verna
Clayton, McCormick County Republican Party Committeewoman
Ruth
Obermeyer, McCormick County Republican Party Chairwoman
Newberry
Chad
Connelly, South Carolina Republican Party Chairman
Byrd
Smith, Newberry County Republican Party Chairman
Oconee
Phil
Soper, Oconee County Republican Party Committeeman
Orangeburg
Bill
Connor, South Carolina Republican Party Sixth Congressional District
Chairman
Roy
Lindsey, Orangeburg County Republican Party Committeeman
Jocoby
Lowery, South Carolina State University College Republicans Chairman
Jim
Ulmer, Orangeburg County Republican Party Chairman
Pickens
Phillip
Bowers, Pickens County Republican Party Chairman
Kristin
Maguire, Former Pickens County Republican Party Committeewoman
March
Maguire, Republican leader
Zack
McClelland, South Carolina Federation of College Republicans Treasurer
Mitchell
Zmarzly, South Carolina Federation of College Republicans Upstate
Director
Richland
Katie
Baham, Former South Carolina Republican Party Political Director
Bob
Barnwell, MAJ USA (retired), Precinct President
Sandra
Bryan, Republican leader
Luke
Byars, Former South Carolina Republican Party Executive Director
Eric
Davis, Richland County Republican Party Chairman
Peter
Kennedy, Republican leader
Sharon
Kennedy, Republican leader
Deb
Marks, Capital City Republican Women President
Drew
McKissick, South Carolina Republican Party Parliamentarian
Lou
Nolan, Richland County Republican Party Committeeman
Patrick
Nolan, Republican leader
DeLinda
Ridings, Executive Secretary for the Executive Committee to the South Carolina
Republican Party
Katie
Thompson, South Carolina Federation of College Republicans Chairman
Trey
Walker, Former South Carolina Republican Party Executive Director
Eaddy
Willard, Former South Carolina Republican Party Secretary
Saluda
Jerry
Strawbridge, Saluda County Republican Party Chairman
Spartanburg
Glenda
Brady, South Carolina Federation of Republican Women Finance Committee
Chairwoman
Rebecca
Edwards, Converse College College Republicans President
Gaye
Holt, President of Greenville-Spartanburg Republican Women and Fourth District
Director of the South Carolina Federation of Republican Women
Nic
Lane, South Carolina Federation of Young Republicans Regional Vice
Chairman
Allen
Lollis, Wofford College Republicans President
Beverly
Owensby, Palmetto House Republican Woman President
Kathy
Pflug, Republican leader
LaDonna
Ryggs, Spartanburg County Republican Party Chairwoman
Robert
Ryggs, Former South Carolina Republican Party Fourth Congressional District
Chairman
Sumter
Shery
Smith, Sumter County Republican Party Chairwoman
Union
Mike
Fowler, Union County Republican Party Chairman
Williamsburg
Ida
Martin, Williamsburg County Republican Party Committeewoman
York
Diane
Carr, Clover-Lake Wylie Republican Women President
EJ
Cousar, South Carolina Republican Party Second Vice Chairman
Glenn
McCall, South Carolina Republican Party National Committeeman
Kevin
Smith, York County Republican Party Committeeman
