Image by Photo courtesy of the Ketner Campaign
After a valiant effort, potential write-in candidate for Senate has decided to withdraw her name from the Senate race, as reported by the Post and Courier.
A petition team was being formulated to get her name on the ballot against republican Jim DeMint. Ketner would have been an alternate choice for those unhappy with the Democrat nomination of the controversial Alvin Greene.
You can also check out her official statement at her website, LindaKetner.com
The full statement is below along with her first official remarks about the petition for posterity.
7/5/2010
Dear Friends,
I am deeply grateful to the hundreds of you
who worked toward petitioning me as an
Independent Candidate for U.S. Senate and
to the thousands who have already signed the
petition!
When asked to consider such a candidacy, I
agreed to think about it because I understand
and respect the frustration and
disappointment of the Senate primary, and of
the general sad-state of government. I share
it. We deserve better.
A key reason we were able to run a
competitive 2008 campaign for Congress in
the First District was you, our caring and
engaged supporters. You gave your time,
talents and resources freely and
enthusiastically as you are doing now in the
petition drive.
Also essential to our 48% showing was that
we had the time, team and money to run that
race very well. During the weeks since the
Petition Initiative was presented to me, I have
exhaustively considered all the ways that we
might mount a similarly strong campaign in
the short 3 1/2 months left to us. Sadly, I
have concluded that at this late date, it's just
not possible to assemble the team and
resources we need to mount the effective
campaign we all want.
Bottom line: yes, we deserve - and
desperately need - better government, but a
last minute campaign without essential
resources won't get us that outcome.
And so, with great appreciation and humility, I
thank those who participated in this initiative,
and announce I will not accept a petition
candidacy. I have asked that the drive be
stopped.
I know this is disheartening to those who
worked so hard, but I hope you'll appreciate
that you did something important.
At a time when people talk endlessly and
seldom take action to right a political system
that no longer operates in the best interest of
the American people, you took action.
Our country needs you, our state needs you,
to keep working for a more agile, more
focused government led by elected
representatives who are motivated to put
Americans first, smart enough to find
solutions, and who are not courtesans to
special interests.
This election, I hope that you will find
candidates for whom you have respect and
help send them to Columbia or Washington.
I, with you, will continue to work on behalf of a
responsive and responsible government; and
will hope for future opportunities to serve our
state.
With gratitude and respect,
Linda
information from petition organizers at
ketnerforsenate.com
------------------
6/17/10
Hi folks,
With the announcement of the "Ketner
Petition Campaign," my email, phone and
Facebook messages have exploded. If you
don't know what I'm referring to, it's at
ketnerforsenate.com
With no staff, my response time to your
questions and comments will be slow and I
hope you'll understand
I didn't initiate or know anything about this
petition campaign until Tuesday evening. As
my friend and former Finance Director, Doug
Warner, said in his quote from an article in
Politico, "What we asked her is, 'Don't
commit, start thinking about it, let us get the
signatures and then we will decide.'" And
that's where I am on it.
I appreciate what my friends and supporters
are doing but I'm not going to comment on it
right now.
I'm deeply appreciative of the interest, and if
10,000 or more registered voters sign a
petition, it's something I would take very
seriously.
Of this I am sure ... none of us have the luxury
of giving up on good government. There's
simply too much at stake.
Very best,
Linda
