South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster

Former U.S. Attorney Henry McMaster, and now the state’s attorney general, is one of four candidates seeking the Republican nomination for South Carolina governor in the June primary this year. The deadline for major party candidates to file with the South Carolina State Election Commission was Tuesday.

Three Democrats also will vie for their party’s nomination in a separate primary on the same day.

McMaster, who served as the state’s U.S. Attorney from 1981 to 1985, announced his candidacy last August, but did not formally file his candidacy until Tuesday. In the primary, McMaster will face Rep. Gresham Barrett, Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer and state Rep. Nikki Haley.

Hopefuls on the other side of the aisle are state Superintendent of Education Jim Rex and two state senators — Robert Ford and Vincent Sheheen.

The candidates are hoping to fill the open seat currently occupied by Gov. Mark Sanford (R), who is term-limited.

Bill Nettles (Sanders & Nettles)

William N. Nettles (The Military College of South Carolina, Widener University School of Law) is nominated to replace William Walter Wilkins III as the U.S. Attorney for South Carolina.

His vitals:

• Born in Sumter, S.C., in 1961.
• Has been a member of Sanders & Nettles, LLC in Columbia, S.C., since 2005.
• Owner of a private law practice in Columbia from November 1997 to 0ctober 2005.
• Was a member of Banks & Nettles, LLC in Camden, S.C., from September 1995 to May 1997.
• Worked as an attorney in the Richland County public defender office in Columbia from August 1992 to September 1995.
• Was a law clerk at Mellon, Webster & Shelley in Doylestown, Pa., from May 1991 to May 1992.
• Worked as a law clerk at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation in Harrisburg, Pa., from August 1990 to May 1991.
• Was the head sailing instructor at the Corinthian Yacht Club of Cape May in Cape May, N.J., from May 1990 to August 1990.
• Worked in sales at Napco Pipe in Worcester, Mass., from June 1989 to June 1990.
• Was the owner of RGHGroup, a manufacturing company, in Forest Grove, Pa., from  1984 to 1990.
• Worked as a laborer and in the sales department of AC Elfman Construction in Doylestown, Pa., from October 1983 to 1984.
• Has resigned from the Sons of the High Hills of Santee, an organization of descendants from an area of Sumter County, S.C. In his questionnaire, Nettle writes, “On the few occasions I attended the lunch, I do not recall seeing any African Americans in attendance. I feel sure the organization has no formal discriminatory requirements, and I am uncertain of any policies that have the practical effect of discriminating. Out of an abundance of caution, however, I have written a letter resigning.”
• Has been counsel for the South Carolina Democratic Party since 2002.
• Was a member of the Obama for President voter protection effort from 2007 to 2008.
• Has tried more than 50 cases, serving as lead counsel on the majority of them.

Click here for his full Senate Judiciary Committee questionnaire.

UPDATE: On his Senate Judiciary financial disclosure, Nettles reports assets valued at $1.8 million mostly in securities and real estate. He owns three properties — his personal residence, a vacation home and his office — valued at a combined $670,000.  He reports $358,600 in liabilites from his mortgages. His net worth is $1.5 million.

The Senate Judiciary Committee has released questionnaires for an additional five U.S. Attorney nominees. Information from their Office of Government Ethics disclosures will be added as it becomes available.

• Sally Quillian Yates, Northern District of Georgia
• Anne M. Tompkins, Western District of North Carolina
• William J. Hochul, Jr., Western District of New York
• Andre Birotte Jr., Central District of California
• William N. Nettles, District of South Carolina

South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster

South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster, who served as the state’s U.S. Attorney from 1981 to 1985, on Monday announced he  is running for governor, The Columbia State reported today. While the announcement wasn’t official until now, McMaster, a Republican, for months has been raising money and making public appearances in preparation for his 2010 run.

In his video announcement, McMaster said that South Carolinians do not trust their government. He said, “There’s been too much dishonesty and too many scandals.” While he did not specifically direct these comments at Gov. Mark Sanford, they appeared to be in reference to him, The State reported. Earlier this summer, Sanford’s whereabouts were unknown to his staff and family, while he visited his Argentinean mistress. Subsequently, there have been inquirers into whether Sanford improperly used taxpayer money including to pay for personal trips.

Although McMaster is considered a front runner by some, as he already has been elected to a statewide office, he recently has been the subject of partisan criticism for not being more aggressive in investigating Stanford’s possible misuse of public funds. In addition,  McMaster has lost elections before, including a 1990 run for lieutenant governor and a 1986 race for U.S. Senate against then-Sen. Fritz Hollings (D).

The State reports that McMaster’s main Republican challengers includes U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett, Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer and state Rep. Nikki Haley.

McMaster’s candidacy announcement: