Is South Carolina Ready To Elect A Woman To Congress… A Woman Named Tinubu-- Don't Answer Yet

Remember South Carolina crackpot Joe Wilson, the right-wing freak who screamed out "You lie!" at President Obama when he gave the State of the Union address in 2009 and was then formally admonished by the House? So far, according to ProgressivePunch, he has the most extreme right wing voting record of anyone from South Carolina for the 2013-'14 session. His crucial vote score is a shocking 2.80 (out of 100). The next worst belongs to freshman congressman for the new 7th CD, Tom Rice, 4.29.

Rice's voting record is an extremist's dream-- a 0.0 on every single crucial vote-- without one exception. Rice accomplished his mission-- to avoid the kind of costly, divisive primary he faced in 2012, when he was forced into a runoff against the state's closet case Lt. Gov., Andre Bauer, having lost the original crowded primary to Bauer 32-27%. This year Rice has no primary challenger. In November, though, he will face the same Democrat he faced in 2012, Gloria Bromell Tinubu. SC-07 has a PVI of R+7, the least red of any of the state's GOP-held House seats. In fact, last time, Dr. Tinubu won the same number of counties that Rice did. Overall, he beat her 147,750 (55%) to 121,418 (45%) but she won in Darlington, Dillon, Florence and Marlboro counties.

2012 wasn't just a tough primary year for Rice. Bromell Tinubu was a target of conservative Democrats and their allies at the DCCC. Her forthright progressive and pro-union platform frightened them. She is way too independent-minded for "ex"-Blue Dog Steve Israel, who wasted thousands of dollars on a preppy kid named Preston Brittain, when his original recruit, anti-Choice/pro-gun State Rep. Ted Vick, a repulsive Blue Dog and ALEC legislator, was forced to drop out after being arrested for drunk driving. Vick-- the ideal Steve Israel candidate-- was carrying a handgun without a permit and had a 21 year old girl in his car when he was arrested.

Bromell Tinubu went on to beat Brittain in the primary but the South Carolina Democratic Party, pressured the South Carolina Election Commission, which had already declared her the winner, to change their ruling and force a runoff based on Ted Vick votes, which dropped her win to under 50%. When the runoff came two weeks later, in a real slap in the face to the Establsihment, Bromell Tinubu kicked preppy boy's ass 73-27%. This year Israel and Clyburn aren't putting anyone up against her and November will see a rematch between Rice and Gloria Bromell Tinubu, this time with a united Democratic Party. Last time, Rice raised $1,428,114 and Gloria raised $625,273.

She has a remarkable life story. As her website boasts, "Gloria doesn't just talk about the American Dream-- she's lived it every day of her life." A graduate of Howard University, she was the first African American to receive a PhD in Applied Economics from Clemson University. Later, while working as a professor at a college in Georgia, she was elected to the Atlanta City Coucil and served as a member of the Georgia Board of Education.

We've mentioned before that Vermont Independent Senator Bernie Sanders has endorsed several progressives running for the House-- like Kelly Westlund (WI), Lee Rogers (CA) and Daylin Leach (PA). Senator Sanders has also endorsed-- and contributed to-- Gloria's campaign. A promise for DWT readers: we'll be hearing more about her and the SC-07 contest in the weeks to come.