Democratic gubernatorial candidates

South Carolina's Democratic gubernatorial primary has begun to head up in its final week. On Tuesday, one of the candidates, state Sen. Mia McLeod, castigated the chamber's minority leader on Twitter just hours after he endorsed one of her opponents. McLeod said House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford had backed Joe Cunningham, and not her, because McLeod had refused "to appoint his unqualified new wife" as a magistrate. Rutherford told The Associated Press he was frustrated by McLeod's absence from Black Caucus meetings and what he characterized as "no care and concern over Black women, over Democrats, over people in particular." McLeod's campaign didn't immediately return an email message seeking comment. South Carolina's primary is June 14.

At least some of the five South Carolina Democrats seeking their party's gubernatorial nomination are expected to debate next week, just more than a week before the state's primary elections. The South Carolina Democratic Party announced Friday that it had sanctioned the production of a debate for June 10. That's a day before South Carolina's Democrats are expected to assemble in Columbia for this year's party convention. Early voting for South Carolina's June 14 primary elections is already underway.