Chamber PAC Makes Mayoral Endorsements
October 28, 2011
CHARLESTON, SC – October 27, 2011 – The Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee (CMCCPAC) has endorsed Joseph P. Riley Jr. for City of Charleston mayor and Keith Summey for City of North Charleston mayor.
“The Chamber’s PAC was formed in 2000 and its original focus was to identify and support candidates running for school board. Today we are purposefully expanding the scope and impact of our PAC by announcing our endorsements for both the Mayor of Charleston and North Charleston,” said PAC Chairman Richard Moore.
The Chamber, through its PAC, will be involved in identifying candidates, training candidates and making sure they are elected to office at important levels of state and local government, including – school board, city and county councils, mayors and members of our state legislature.
“We have, without question, two of the best mayors in the country. They need to both be re-elected. And going forward, it is critical that all our mayors demonstrate leadership and decision-making skills of this caliber,” said Ron Jones, Chamber Chairman. “Well qualified, capable elected leaders, in these offices, have a meaningful impact on the competitiveness of our overall business environment and position businesses for future economic prosperity.”
Endorsements were made after all candidates running for Mayor of the City of Charleston and Mayor of the City of North Charleston were contacted and asked to participate in interviews conducted by the CMCCPAC Committee members. Candidates were scheduled for 30-minute interviews that were held on October 15, 2011 and October 17, 2011.
CMCCPAC Board members participating in the interviews were provided a list of questions from the candidate questionnaire used for City Council races. Board members were also provided a scoring sheet, again based on the questionnaire, as a guide to help them evaluate each Mayoral candidate they interviewed. Each PAC Board member’s completed candidate evaluation sheet was turned into the Chamber’s staff for a cumulative tally and then candidate comparisons were made to determine which candidate had the highest endorsement score.
“Following the interviews, the PAC Board quickly agreed to the candidates we would endorse for mayor,” said Moore.
About the Charleston Metro Chamber
With more than 1,850 members, representing 75,000 employees in the three county region, the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce serves as the catalyst for advancing our region’s economy, improving our quality of life and enhancing our members’ success and the region’s overall prosperity.
About the Chamber PAC
The Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce PAC is a separate organization from the Chamber, governed by an independent board of directors. The PAC’s mission is to evaluate and support candidates for local and state office who acknowledge, support and actively vote for pro-business policies and legislation.
