Governor: S.C. GOP vote a horse race

COLUMBIA, S.C., Jan. 18 (UPI) -- South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, a Republican, says Saturday's GOP primary is a horse race that will go down to the wire.

"I think a lot of Republicans are out there are still out there looking," Sanford said Friday on MSNBC.

Sanford, who endorsed Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz, in 2000 but no one so far in this election, said it's his understanding is about one in five Republican voters is undecided, "which is remarkable, given that, in fact, the election in our state is here."

In a McClatchy-MSNBC poll, McCain and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee are in a virtual dead heat, with 27 percent and 25 percent, respectively.

The reality, he said, is the Republican candidates seeking to be the party's presidential nominee each have different strong points and weak points.

"And we've got to pick one of them to be our nominee and to move forward this election, the big election, which comes in November," he said.