CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- South Carolina Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer announced publicly for the first time to NewsChannel 36 anchor Dave Wagner during a taping of FlashPOINT that he is running for governor.
“I am running,” Bauer said. “I have not announced formally, but you heard it here, I am running for governor.”
Bauer has raised more than $285,000 in a campaign account that's expected to help launch a bid for governor.
The Republican filed a campaign finance report last month with the State Ethics Commission that shows he now has more than $825,000 on hand.
Bauer said he thought he would have already announced his plans for governor by now, but things have been very busy. He had offered not to run if Gov. Mark Sanford resigned.
Sanford left the state with no one clearly in charge in June to rendezvous with his lover in Argentina. He now faces a criminal ethics investigation tied to his use of state planes for personal and political purposes and unreported use of private planes owned by buddies and donors.
Sanford says he'll fight to stay in office.
