Known by local media as the "perennial candidate," Frasier has tried running for office since 1972, and always using a platform that comes straight from the Republican Party. But he only seems to run in primary elections that have a Democratic incumbent, or a weak Republican incumbent, or a strong Democratic challenger. For example:

In 1972 and 1978, Frasier ran against incumbent Democrat Mendel J. Davis for the 1st Congressional seat. (In the 1972 race, he claimed to have been kidnapped by Davis' campaign team.)

When Davis retired in 1980, Frasier entered the Democratic primary against the well-known Charles Ravenel.

Two strong Democrats entered the 1982 race for this office, and so did Frasier shortly after. One of the primary candidates withdrew, but Frasier still only came in third. After that prominent loss, Frasier contested that votes for that withdrawn candidate shouldn't be counted, and he forced a runoff (in which he was also handily defeated).

When the incumbent Republican retired in 1986 and Mendel Davis ran again for his 1st Congressional District office, Frasier again entered the Democratic primary race.

In 1994, 1998, 2000 and 2002, Frasier tried to challenge incumbent Democrat Jim Clyburn for the 6th Congressional seat in the primary elections of those years. (Frasier's eligibility for the 1994 race was questioned after his own father said he didn't live in the state. It was also questioned in 2002, when his June filing papers listed a home address of property he had sold in May.)

In 2004, South Carolina had an open Senate seat. Frasier entered the primary to challenge a well-known Democratic woman (Inez Tenanbaum). He is also suspected of trying to hide where he got the money to pay the high filing fee for that race, which he paid with a cashier's check. "It is the only filing check the party has received that didn't come from an established campaign account," the Post & Courier reported that year. Frasier also continued to list a Wadmalaw Island address as his home, even though records showed he sold that address in 2002.

In 2006, when incumbent Henry Brown first appeared to be weakening his hold on the 1st District, Frasier entered the Democratic primary and forced a runoff.

In 2008, when Republican Brown's hold was weaker, and when the Democratic Party had viable and well-funded candidate Linda Ketner, Frasier entered the race.

In 2010, after Brown announced he wouldn't run again, Frasier again ran in the Democratic primary. And to the shock of Democrats throughout the 1st Congressional District, Frasier joined the ranks of Alvin Greene that year by scoring an upset win against a prominent candidate. Frasier did pitifully in 2010's final election, getting only 28.6 percent of the vote, but it didn't seem to matter to him. After the primary upset, his work was done.

In 2012, Frasier didn't run for any office (but he still collected campaign funds and received two warnings from the FEC). When asked why he didn't campaign in that election cycle, he told a reporter "they told me to stand down." Frasier refused to tell the reporter who "they" were, though.

Which brings us to this special election in 2013. According to local news: "He said 'they' told him to run, but did not specify who the 'they' was when asked." And he's still listing that Wadmalaw Island address to be his home, even though records show he sold that property in May 2002.

He started all this in 1972, but he's still at in 2013? Forty-one years of tomfoolery is enough.

It isn't just a handful of voters who think Ben Frasier is no Democrat.

Another Democrat from South Carolina - a very prominent Democrat, at that - thinks Frasier is just a "Republican plant."

And Rep. Jim Clyburn doesn't mind saying so, either.

From MSNBC (see video below):
“'So they were running my opponent’s campaign, Alvin Greene’s campaign and Ben Frasier’s campaign down in the 1st district. The only federal campaigns on the ballot—those were being run out of the same shop, and that shop was [Republican congressman] Joe Wilson’s campaign manager and former staffer on his congressional staff. So that’s all the proof I need,' Clyburn said."

From The Huffington Post:
"Apart from Greene, Clyburn alleged that Gregory Brown, who mounted an unsuccessful campaign against Clyburn for the 6th Congressional seat, and Ben Frasier, who triumphed over state Democratic party-backed candidate Robert Burton to become the nominee for the 1st Congressional district, were also plants."

From TPM:
"In the third race that Clyburn calls suspicious, the 1st Congressional District, Frasier won even though the establishment-favored candidate, Robert Burton, raised and spent $100,000. Frasier’s campaign didn’t file any details about his spending with the FEC. But he’s far from a first-time candidate, having run nearly three dozen times — and losing — for elected office. Frasier has run as a candidate for both parties, and has even been accused of being a Republican plant and not qualified to be a candidate in the past, according to local press accounts.

Frasier doesn’t have a campaign Website or Facebook page we could find, but Frasier beat Burton by about 2,200 votes or 56%-44%."

From the Washington Post:
"Clyburn contended that Greene's campaign, and those of two other African American candidates, were designed to upend the Democratic primary process in the Palmetto State. He also named Brown and Benjamin Frasier Jr., a perennial candidate who surprised observers by beating retired Air Force Reserve Col. Robert Burton in the 1st District."

Maybe we should try his tactic here in Washington? Some folks just look for the (D) attached to the name when the vote.

Not on my watch.

I just told Frasier "No!"

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