Ervin: “We’re going to win this race”

Anderson radio station owner Tom Ervin enters the November election without the blessing of either of South Carolina’s major political parties, but he’s confident he can win Governor with his Independent Republican campaign. Ervin brought that campaign this morning to a Walhalla restaurant where he spoke and answered questions to a crowd of about 25 people. Ervin espoused a campaign of change that includes raising of the minimum wage and, as a partial solution to South Carolina’s transportation issues, the consideration of the state’s first increase in the gasoline tax since 1987. He complained that the state doesn’t count the true numbers of its unemployed and he expressed distrust of Governor Haley’s claims of job gains. Ervin did not spare Vincent Sheheen, the Democrats’ nominee for Governor for criticism and said in South Carolina too many foxes guard the henhouse. If elected, he vowed to ban public officials from accepting gifts and called for public elections of the state’s insurance commissioner and the public service commissioners who approve utility rate increases.