Nikki Haley and Alvin Greene aren’t the only stories in South Carolina. The polite battle between two Republicans, Tim Scott and Paul Thurmond, is also becoming a hot topic in the run-up to their June 22 run-off election for an open House seat. Scott, a state representative who finished ahead of Thurmond in the June 8 primary, is bidding to become the first black Republican in Congress in eight years. Thurmond, for his part, has high name identification: He’s a Charleston County Commissioner and a son of Strom Thurmond, the late U.S. senator. According to a Bloomberg report, both men, refreshingly, are avoiding the politics of race. Besides, Scott was a co-chairman for Strom Thurmond’s final reelection campaign:

The matchup’s racial implications have gone largely ignored by both candidates. Instead, the two are waging a traditional Republican campaign to define who is the most qualified to trim government spending and prevent Congress from raising taxes.
“South Carolinians are sensitive to the suggestion that race would play a factor in these races, given the legacy in the state,” McGee said. “Ignoring it is the preferred response.”
“It’s not an issue in the race because it’s not an issue for Tim,” said Joe McKeown, a Scott campaign volunteer. “Tomorrow is more important than yesterday in South Carolina.”

On Saturday, Scott was endorsed by Rep. Eric Cantor (R., Va.), the House GOP whip, and Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.), the NRCC’s recruitment chairman. The Club for Growth has endorsed him, too. Jim notes that Scott has also been “praised” by Sen. Jim DeMint (R., S.C.).

Here’s another nugget from the Bloomberg story:

Scott was raised by a single mother, and credits her with instilling in him a belief in small-government. According to McKeown, who has known Scott for decades, when people ask the candidate on the stump why he’s conservative, he tells them “because my mama raised me right.”

Many conservatives would agree with that.