When Priscilla Glover-Robinson started her campaign to unseat state Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, she was at a disadvantage.

Glover-Robinson’s campaign began with only $10,100 in the bank, while Cobb-Hunter was sitting on a war chest of $77,749, according to campaign reports the candidates filed with the S.C. Ethics Commission. Much of the veteran lawmaker’s money came from political action committees, plus businesses and individuals.

Glover would never catch up to Cobb-Hunter in money. But on one day, May 22, she got help with an influx of $13,000 from companies affiliated with Howard Rich, a New York real estate investor who has poured money into South Carolina campaigns for candidates who support school choice.

For John Crangle of S.C. Common Cause, which supports campaign finance reform, neither situation is good.

Incumbents have such a strong financial advantage it’s hard for a newcomer to even step in to challenge them. And rich benefactors can use different corporations to bypass campaign contribution limits to promote a cause, such as school choice.

“The fundamental problem there is we should not be allowing corporations to give contributions at all,” Crangle said.

After the dust settled in the June 10 Democratic primary, Cobb-Hunter was holding 61 percent of the vote.

Cobb-Hunter spent $36,101 during the election cycle, while Glover-Robinson spent $31,243, according to forms filed earlier this month.

Crangle says the amount spent was a little high for a S.C. House primary, but follows the trend of more expensive House elections. And because House District 66 could be considered a Democratic district, drawn for a Democratic candidate, the primary could almost be seen as the election for the district, Crangle said.

“The primary is really where the action is,” he said.

Cobb-Hunter will face Republican Tim Hawkins in November. She defeated him with 73 percent of the vote two years ago.

Howard Rich

Rich, who contributed so much to the Glover-Robinson campaign, is described by the Web site stophowardrichsc.blogspot.com as using “his vast personal wealth in an effort to build a state legislature in South Carolina that will support his plan to divert public money to private schools through school vouchers and tax credits.”

He does that by picking elections in South Carolina -- and other states -- that he thinks can be won by school choice supporters and pouring money into their campaigns. While an individual can only put $1,000 into any candidate’s campaign, Rich is able to put in more by giving $1,000 apiece from each of his various corporations, such as 188 Claremont LLC, Dayrich LLC and Rich & Rich LLC.

By funneling contributions from one person or group through different corporations, “You basically wreck the contribution limit system,” Crangle said.

In a statement, Rich said, “Everything I do in politics is because I believe that individual liberty and taxpayer rights are the basic principles on which this nation was founded. Parents pay for government, so why shouldn’t they be able to use a portion of their tax dollars to select a school that fits their child’s needs?”

Rich says South Carolina has “the nation’s worst graduation rate, highest percentage of dropout factories, next-to-lowest SAT scores, a widening achievement gap and a failed system of accountability. And (parents) see only forty-four cents on each dollar actually making it to their children in the classroom.”

Glover-Robinson did not return calls seeking comment.

Cobb-Hunter says, “I am very opposed to vouchers. I do not support vouchers. I have no problems with private schools or people sending their children to private schools.” But she doesn’t believe tax money should be spent sending children to private school.

She just sees irony in the joining of Howard Rich and local public education supporters -- such as Orangeburg City Councilman Bernard Haire, Orangeburg County Councilman Willie B. Owens, Orangeburg Consolidated School District 5 Board Vice Chairman Melvin Crum and former South Carolina State University President Dr. Leroy Davis.

“Politics makes strange bedfellows. When I look at the people involved from the standpoint of pro-voucher and pro-education, I should be proud to bring those two sides together for one common goal -- unseating me,” Cobb-Hunter said.

Owens says he’s against vouchers, but supported Glover-Robinson because, “I thought it might be good to have a change in that district.”

Owens says the person who holds the District 66 seat needs to work more with other officials in Orangeburg County.

“I don’t think the incumbent was giving that cooperation. If we’re going to get something done in a regional way, we don’t need to be an island in ourselves,” he said. Owens said he believes Cobb-Hunter “pulled away from the (Orangeburg County Legislative) Delegation and had her own agenda rather than sharing the agenda of the other representatives in the area. I hope that will not continue. There’s a need for us to find common ground.”

But Cobb-Hunter said, “I don’t have any problems with members of the delegation. There are some members of the delegation who seem to have a problem with me. My job is to represent House District 66 as best I can and I believe the results of June 10 show they think I’m doing a pretty good job.”

“It’s safe to assume that none of the delegation voted for me, but 61 percent of my constituents did. I conclude from that that I get along with at least 61 percent of my constituents and that’s what’s important to me,” she said.

Cobb-Hunter says she makes no excuses for working with people who have influence and power in the Statehouse to help the people of her district, and “I don’t see any point in dealing with the insecurities of the men and women who see themselves as the leaders in this county. It’s not my job to stroke them.”

“The bottom line is I am honest, direct and tell the truth and, for some people, this is too much. I have always been this way and always will be this way. If people on the delegation and in this community can’t understand I’m not interested in going along to get along, then the problem is theirs, not mine,” she said.

Donations continue

As Cobb-Hunter prepares for the November election, she has $89,247 on hand to face Hawkins. He has reported no contributions so far.

Crangle says longtime incumbents like Cobb-Hunter are able to collect and hold onto thousands election after election. They rarely face difficult opposition, allowing them to roll over their contributions to the next election. That gives them a large pot of money, which can be a barrier to those who might seek to run against them in the future.

Some incumbents have been able to build up war chests in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, he said. “Nobody’s going to run against anyone with $300,000 to $400,000 bucks.”

“It gives contributors a huge amount of power over candidates and the election process,” he said.

The amount of campaign money local lawmakers had on hand at their July filing includes: Sen. Brad Hutto, $56,412; Rep. Jerry Govan, $5,505; Rep. Harry Ott, $86,112; Sen. John Matthews, $31,888, and Rep. Bakari Sellers, $4,899.

Cobb-Hunter says “Most of the funds I’ve received were unsolicited.”

Some fund-raisers were held in her honor, but “I didn’t organize a fund-raising campaign. I’m good at a whole lot of things, but not asking for money.”

Much of the money is used for constituent services, such as when a local group asks for a contribution, and her activities as a member of the Democratic National Committee. She also uses it to attend legislative conferences, saying, “I try to stay abreast of what’s going on, particularly in the areas of health care and economic development.”

“I feel very strongly my constituents benefit from my keeping abreast of the things happening outside of the district and it makes me a much more knowledgeable representative,” Cobb-Hunter said.

She said groups tend to give donations to lawmakers, “who are willing to listen to their side. Not necessarily agree, but listen.”

“I reserve judgment until I’ve heard all sides of an issue and people tend to appreciate that,” she said.

T&D City Editor Gene Crider can be reached by e-mail at gcrider@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5570. Discuss this and other stories at TheTandD.com.

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