Most of South Carolina’s Republican candidates for governor met Wednesday night in Newberry for their first debate of the campaign, focusing heavily on affordability in one of the nation’s fastest-growing states.
When asked about the top issue facing South Carolina, several candidates pointed to the rising cost of living and proposed different approaches to rein it in.
U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman called for broad government reforms, while State Sen. Josh Kimbrell said eliminating the state income tax is key to continued growth.
Kimbrell said states with strong population growth have followed a similar path. “Every state in this country that’s grown rapidly — Texas, Florida, Tennessee — has done so without an income tax,” Kimbrell said. “I’m the only person on the stage who has introduced that in the Legislature of South Carolina. I will eliminate the income tax.”
Attorney General Alan Wilson said he supports a similar direction as Norman and Kimbrell, calling for a South Carolina “DOGE-style” effort aimed at reforming state government.
U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace focused on energy costs, saying South Carolina residents should not shoulder the financial burden of expanding data centers. “We cannot allow South Carolina residents to pay a single dime of energy costs for data centers that are coming into the state,” Mace said. “It’s too unaffordable.”
Lt. Gov. Pam Evette and businessman Rom Reddy did not participate in the debate.
The next debate in the series is scheduled for April 21 in Charleston.
