When I was first campaigned to become a State Representative for our community, I figured I should get a website to let folks know about me and my goals and how I felt a Representative ought to serve. Then about two years ago, I was talked into upgrading the site (thanks to Wes Donehue ) to what it is today – NathansNews – a better way to stay in touch with my constituents and to share what’s going on in Columbia.

Sometimes it gets me in trouble with my colleagues. Other times, it’s a chance for me to share my family with you. Lately, it’s become much more. While I certainly don’t get the hits of other blogs in our state , I supposedly get over 3,000 unique hits a month and this week most of those folks must have read my Sunday entry about the “down ticket races” in our state for 2010.

I had been hearing some recent buzz about Republicans wanting a formidable candidate to run for Superintendent of Education and I simply passed it along here on my site . Next thing you know, turns out several Republican leaders have turned up the intensity and my friend, Rep. Ted Pitts (R-Lexington), has literally been a wanted man this week.

State GOP Chairman Karen Floyd has spent countless hours in the past month on recruitment efforts for this office. As the party’s nominee for Education in 2006, Karen uniquely knows how challenging this race is for a Republican. Convincing a quality candidate like Ted Pitts to jump in this race would be a tremendous coup for her and for Republicans.

The effort to draft Pitts to run for Superintendent of Education is being organized by several GOP members of the House and the Senate and they are actively soliciting the help of Chairman Floyd. The question you gotta ask though is this: Do they want Ted to run for Education because Republicans need him (and his resume) in that office OR is it because getting him out of the Lt. Governor’s race would free up voter-rich Lexington County for one of the other Lt. Governor candidates to become the front-runner? Who would benefit most? Most likely ultra-conservative Bill Connor or freshman House Rep. Tim Scott (Charleston).

The people who know Ted the best know about Ted’s passion for education. Having spent time in a classroom, serving on the House Education Committee, and being the leader on many education bills that would help our state move forward, Ted knows what it will take to head our Education Department. Ted can “work well with others” and the guy truly cares about educating tomorrow’s leaders. I could vouch for Ted’s character, tenaciousness, and conservative credentials and he would be tough to beat in that race – or any.

So now the buzz is starting to get deafening.

It wouldn’t surprise me to see several Representatives, Senators and grassroots activists get behind a “Draft Ted” movement. It also doesn’t surprise me now to hear of other folks shifting gears and other names being floated about because it appears Republicans (often split in past years) may coalesce this year around one candidate to carry the banner for 2010 with Education. Whether that candidate is Ted or not, he’s sure to start any campaign with a sizeable portion of Republican voters backing him right here in Lexington County.