|
Dr. Walter “Buddy” Wither-spoon, serving a third term representing South Carolina Republicans on the Republican National Committee (RNC), is seriously considering challenging Sen. Lindsey Graham in next year’s Republican primary.
Dr. Witherspoon, a Lexington orthodontist, informed The Times Examiner last Thursday that he was considering the challenge, but has not yet made a final decision about challenging Graham.
Witherspoon has considerable support from conservative Republicans across the state and two years ago successfully withstood a challenge for his RNC seat by Edwin G. Foulke, Jr., who was chairman of the Greenville County GOP Executive Committee at the time. Foulke has since been appointed Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health by President George W. Bush.
Witherspoon is the first well- known Republican to express interest in challenging Sen. Graham, who has lost favor with many Palmetto State Republicans as a result of positions he has taken on immigration and the influx of illegal migrants through the open border with Mexico.
Senator Graham has a sizeable campaign fund and Dr. Wither-spoon has been elected to the RNC by delegates to the State GOP Convention. Campaigning statewide against an incumbent US Senator will be a monumental task.
Sen. Graham has been very supportive of President Bush both on the War in Iraq and his policies on immigration. In fact, the president visited Charleston yesterday, and the White House made it clear that the visit was in response to a request from Sen. Graham.
|
