| SC GOP gov hopeful Templeton announces running mate BY JAMIE SELF May 21, 2018 05:34 PM
Republican Catherine Templeton will announce her running mate Tuesday on a statewide tour.
The former S.C. agency director, seen as the chief rival of Gov. Henry McMaster in the June 12 primary, will announce her pick for lieutenant governor in Greenville, suggesting an Upstate elected official or businessperson is the likely choice.
Templeton ended the speculation early Tuesday morning with a tweet announcing her running mate would be Walt Wilkins, solicitor of the 13th Judicial Circuit which includes Greenville.
Speculation in political circles Monday was that Templeton would name the Upstate prosecutor as her running mate.
Choosing a running mate with Upstate ties will help Templeton, who worked in Greenville, but grew up in Lexington and lives in Mount Pleasant. Greenville delivers the largest number of GOP primary voters of any S.C. county. Two Upstate Republicans also seeking the GOP nomination for governor were ruled out Monday.
Lt. Gov. Kevin Bryant, R-Anderson, is "focused on winning the nomination, and he is fully confident he will do so," said campaign spokesperson Tori Beth Black.
Upstate real estate lender John Warren, a late entrant into the GOP race who has put about $3 million of his own money into his bid for the nomination, will be campaigning in Charleston on Tuesday morning.
Templeton will make her formal announcement at 9 a.m. from her Upstate campaign headquarters before going to events in Spartanburg, Augusta, West Columbia, Florence, Myrtle Beach and Mount Pleasant. | 
