Thomas Ravenel, a once-rising GOP political star in South Carolina, seeks a comeback as an independent

♦By Rich Shumate, Chickenfriedpolitics.com editor

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CFP) — After successfully fending off a gaggle of GOP primary challengers, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham will likely face a Republican-turned-independent with a checkered and colorful past in November.

Senate candidate Thomas Ravenel

Thomas Ravenel, 51, who resigned as South Carolina state treasurer in 2007 after being arrested on cocaine distribution charges, collected more than 16,000 signatures to qualify as independent. If those signatures are certified, he will be on the ballot against Graham this fall.

Ravenel spent 10 months in federal prison on the drug charges. He is also a cast member on the Bravo network’s reality show Southern Charm.

As a convicted felon, Ravenel won’t be able to vote for himself, although federal law does not prohibit felons from running for federal office.

Speaking to reporters after delivering his petition signatures on July 14, Ravenel admitted he was an “imperfect messenger.”

“My personal life is my problem,” he said. “Lindsey Graham’s public life is your problem — everyone’s problem.”

In recent media interviews, Ravenel has touted his libertarian positions, saying one of his political causes would be drug legalization.

Ravenel hails from a prominent Charleston family and is the son of former Republican U.S. Rep. Arthur Ravenel Jr. He was considered a rising star when he was elected state treasurer in 2006, but he was forced to resign after just seven months in office after being arrested on the cocaine charges.

He also pleaded guilty to drunken driving charges in New York in 2013.

While Graham’s campaign has not commented on Ravenel’s entry into the race, the South Carolina Republican Party issued a blistering denunciation, calling his campaign a publicity stunt.

“His so-called campaign an embarrassment, and the people of South Carolina don’t appreciate it one bit,” Republican spokesman Matt Orr said in the statement.

But the Palmetto State is no stranger to political redemption. Former Governor Mark Sanford won a seat in the U.S. House in 2013 despite a messy scandal involving clandestine trips to visit an Argentinian mistress.

Graham was the No. 1 target of Tea Party and outside conservative groups who tried to oust him in June’s Republican primary. He won but with just 56 percent of the vote — potentially leaving room for a conservative independent candidate such as Ravenel.

Also in the race is Democratic State Senator Brad Hutto.