President Trump To Stump For South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster In Greenville

GREENVILLE, SC — President Donald Trump will visit Greenville, South Carolina on Monday for a private fundraiser for South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster's re-election bid in 2018. The event comes on the heels of Luther Strange's defeat in Alabama's Republican U.S. Senate race, in which Trump backed Strange over Roy Moore to fill the seat once held by Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

The event will be held at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Greenville Golf Resort & Conference Center, The Greenville News reported. Some see similarities between McMaster and Strange, who have impeccable Republican credentials.

Strange fought same-sex marriage as Alabama attorney general. McMaster headed South Carolina's Republican Party for years, served as its top prosecutor and was elected lieutenant governor in 2014. Both rose to their current offices by appointment. Strange was appointed by then-Gov. Robert Bentley to fill the seat vacated by Sessions. McMaster became governor when Trump picked then-Gov. Nikki Haley to be his U.N. ambassador. (For more information on the fundraiser and other Greenville stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

Strange and McMaster took political risks to support Trump's presidential candidacy. And Trump, known for rewarding loyalty, has supported their candidacies.

But Strange lost the nomination to Moore, who was twice removed as Alabama Supreme Court chief justice. The first removal was for defying a federal judge's order to take down a Ten Commandments monument from the state judicial building. He was elected again but was permanently suspended after a judicial discipline panel ruled he urged probate judges to deny marriage licenses to gay couples. Moore was propelled by his support from evangelical voters across the mostly white, Christian-dominated state where voters have repeatedly embraced outsiders who campaign on embracing God and rebuffing authority.

McMaster, although he is the incumbent, isn't receiving political deference: several Republicans are challenging him in the primary. His most formidable opponent thus far is Catherine Templeton, an anti-union attorney who served Haley as head of the state's labor and public health departments.

The Trump administration tried to woo Templeton to Washington with a slot at the Department of Labor, but Templeton passed. She has amassed a campaign war chest nearly commensurate to McMaster's. Both are nearing $2 million cash on hand.

Some South Carolina political analysts question whether McMaster, about to enter his fourth decade in politics, may be relying too heavily on Trump's support to boost his 2018 election chances. Chad Walldorf, a businessman who served in former Gov. Mark Sanford's administration, said he sees the parallels with Alabama.

"I respect loyalty, but it seems that Trump is again misreading the situation on the ground, getting behind the establishment candidate who was not elected to his position, running against a credible agent of change who's garnering more significant grassroots support," he said, referring to Templeton. "At least from the voter standpoint, it seems to me that folks eager for change are eagerly jumping on the Templeton bandwagon."

By MEG KINNARD and DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated Press

Photo credit: Susan Walsh/Associated Press