CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) -- The mayor of a coastal South Carolina city has selected the candidate he would like to see run the state.
Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. is endorsing state Sen. Vincent Sheheen for the Democratic nomination for South Carolina governor. Riley makes a formal endorsement during a news conference in Charleston on Wednesday.
The influential mayor says Sheheen is the candidate South Carolina needs to get back on the right track.
Mayor since 1975, Riley is one of the state's leading Democrats in a city with a strong Democratic voter base. Riley, who once ran for governor himself, has served as mayor longer than anyone in Charleston's storied 340-year history.
Four other Democrats and four Republicans are all in the race to succeed GOP Gov. Mark Sanford.
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