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Published: Thursday, Mar. 25, 2010 / Updated: Wednesday, Mar. 24, 2010 03:12 PM

Public invited to March 26 GOP forum in Lake Wylie

LAKE WYLIE -- 

With so many Republican candidates for elected offices heading into the June 8 primaries, one local group is offering an event to help folks sort out the choices.

“We’ll keep at it until the primaries,” said Diane Carr, president of the Clover-Lake Wylie Republican Women. “Hopefully so people can come out and hear the candidates and so they can make up their minds on a more informed basis.”

Carr’s group will host a forum for Republican candidates March 26 at River Hills Country Club, with candidates expected for the positions of Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Superintendent of Education, State Treasurer and Adjutant General. Candidates will answer a few questions from moderator Carol Blackwell, provide their own statements and, if time allows, take questions from the audience.

“A lot of them are confirmed,” Carr said. “We’re going to have something like 15 or so there, so it’s a good number of people crammed in.”

Blackwell said there may be candidates for other positions. She hopes to confirm participants this week, with the total number determining how long each will have to present.

One state office that will not be addressed is governor. Blackwell said that because the York County Republican Party has an event for those candidates in April, the women’s group will focus on the other primary races.

“We’re working to have a gubernatorial debate on April 29 in Rock Hill,” said Glenn McCall, chairman of the county Republican party. “It’s open to the public, and everybody’s invited.”

Richards McCrae, elected last week to chair the York County Democratic Party, said his group does not plan to have an event similar to the one in River Hills – something he calls “a luxury.”

“At the present time, we do not have any candidates forum set up,” he said. “Although we are consistently being visited by our state candidates for lieutenant governor, superintendent of education and other positions, as well as the gubernatorial campaign.”

McCrae said many of the top positions are not contested on the Democrat side. With one “very strong candidate” for Lt. Governor and a “truly exceptional candidate” for Superintendent of Education, for instance, Democrats can focus in on the general elections, he said.

“At this time, they are focused on fundraising and building an organization that will lead to victory in the fall,” McCrae said.

Possible attendees at the March 26 forum include Lt. Governor candidates Ken Ard, Lt. Colonel Bill Connor and Larry Richter; Attorney General candidates Robert Bolchoz, Leighton Lord and Alan Wilson; State Superintendent of Education candidates Gary Burgess, Dr. Brent Nelsen, Elizabeth Moffly, Kelly Payne and Mick Zais; State Treasurer candidates Converse Chellis and Curtis Loftis; and Adjutant General candidates Dean Allen and Bob Livingston.

The Clover-Lake Wylie Republican Women has 69 members. The March 26 event is open to men and women, regardless of political affiliation. Primary elections will be June 8, with runoffs June 22, if needed. The general election is Nov. 2.