Petitioner tries to oppose Howie Rich's candidate

For a short time, it appeared that Howie Rich's candidate in the South Carolina House race might have an independent opponent, and Howie Rich was the reason.

Former Landrum Mayor Doug Brannon has about 24 hours to finish collecting enough signatures to be on the November ballot as a candidate for the state House of Representatives. "The residents of House District 38 need a strong, vocal representative that isn't pulled by out-of-state money or some other power," Brannon said.

According to his pre-election campaign disclosure form, Millwood received about three-quarters of the money he had raised so far - $4,150 - from New York donors affiliated with Libertarian Howard Rich. Rich and his associates have supported groups and individuals in South Carolina promoting school choice, specifically vouchers, though Millwood said he would prefer tax credits for parents who send their children to private school over a voucher system.

Millwood had not filed his second-quarter disclosure statement as of Sunday. But he said he would continue working hard toward November as he did the months leading up to the June primary.
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Brannon said he would not accept contributions from out-of-state special interests.

Brannon pushing petition deadline to join House District 38 race
Herald-Journal (Spartanburg, SC) - July 14, 2008

Millwood's response to the potential challenge from Brannon was expected: "I'm the Republican nominee," he said.

Another hurdle Brannon faces is the funding machine built by New York Libertarian Howard Rich. As of May 23 - the deadline for candidates to file their pre-election campaign disclosure forms with the state - Millwood had raised only $3,650 this quarter, and $3,000 of that was from associates of Rich.

Since then, Millwood received an additional $47,427.18 in campaign donations. Of that, $45,600, or more than 96 percent, came from individuals and entities affiliated with Rich and the S.C. Club for Growth - and about half of that came May 24, the beginning of the window when candidates would not have to disclose donors until after the election.
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None of that financial information includes the thousands of dollars pumped into the House District 38 primary by South Carolinians for Responsible Government, or SCRG, and Conservatives in Action, in the form of campaign literature. The money trail for those groups also leads back to Rich, and the groups have successfully navigated loopholes in state law by calling campaign mailers "education pieces."
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Whether tax dollars should be used to support private school education will be a key issue in this race. It's an issue championed by Rich and his groups, and ousting Walker was seen as a victory for those who support using tax dollars to help cover costs for parents who send their children to private schools.

Brannon turns in petitions - House District 38: If signatures check out, he'll appear on Nov. 4 ballot
Herald-Journal (Spartanburg, SC) - July 16, 2008

But Brannon's petition effort fell short, leaving Howie Rich's candidate to run against an unknown Democrat in the general election.