South Carolina's two top candidates for governor sought to differentiate themselves Tuesday night in what is expected to be their one and only debate before Election Day.
Republican Attorney General Alan Wilson, 53, said on the WIS debate stage that his platform was built on affordability, profitability and government accountability for residents.
Wilson has served more than 15 years as South Carolina's head prosecutor. A military veteran, Wilson is also the son of 2nd District Congressman Joe Wilson.
"The higher prices we pay, the broken roads we drive on affect us all. I will work as your governor to work with Republicans and Democrats to give you the results you deserve," he said in the debate's close. "We can fix this state, and we can do it together."
Forty-one-year-old Democratic state Rep. Jermaine Johnson, who represents parts of Kershaw and Richland counties in the House, said the success of the state relied on the prosperity of its people, not of businesses.
Johnson, who would be the first Black governor of South Carolina if elected, underscored the state GOP's longtime control of the state, arguing the party has been unable to perform on promises.
"Now, if my opponent's answers sounded familiar, it's because they are," he said. "It's the same broken promises that we've been hearing for the last 24 years."
After almost a decade in office, South Carolina voters this year will decide who succeeds Gov. Henry McMaster, the state's longest-serving governor. Wilson and Johnson spoke to voters four weeks before Election Day.
Here are a few takeaways from Tuesday's debate:
Data centers development
Out the gate, Johnson and Wilson were asked what the "best path forward" would be in dealing with data center development.
Johnson said he was in support of a statewide moratorium on new data centers as the General Assembly navigates how to establish guardrails. Wilson, while also in support of guardrails, said a moratorium would take the option away from communities who want data centers.
Both candidates said they wanted the decision to be community-based. And both said aspiring companies looking to build a data center would need to bring their own energy. Wilson went as far as to say that whatever energy the data center did not use could reenter the power grid and save customers money.
Income tax relief
The candidates differed on eliminating the state income tax.
Earlier this year, McMaster signed a bill into law that lowered the top income tax rate and slowly phases it out. Wilson's position appeared to fall in with the current state plan.
“I’ve always advocated that South Carolina should go in a 0% income tax for everybody. We’re not going to pick winners and losers,” Wilson said.
Johnson and other state Democrats voted against the income tax bill earlier this year because he said it raised taxes on some of the state's lower-earning residents.
“They raised taxes on the poorest working-class people of South Carolina,” Johnson said.
Johnson said as governor he would repeal the law and proposed a plan that sought to use tax revenues from legalized cannabis — legislation that Statehouse leaders have said in the past they don't intend to pass.
Approach to drug trafficking
Johnson and Wilson said they supported stern prosecution, judicial reform and a need to close the "revolving door" of the state justice system.
Wilson, as the state's longtime attorney general, immediately pointed to his experience of drug busts in office. And he called out Johnson for not voting in favor of a "homicide by fentanyl" bill when it passed in the House last year.
Johnson said the attorney general did not understand how the General Assembly worked or why he did not vote for the bill.
He said the bill was flawed and argued that if a single pin drop of fentanyl was found in a bag of another drug, the entire bag would be equated to fentanyl.
Johnson said the death of his brother to gun violence was the motivation behind his stances.
What else the candidates said
Both candidates disagreed on a slew of subjects:
- Johnson advocated for a ban of Flock Safety cameras, while Wilson said guardrails were needed instead. Wilson sent a letter to Flock Safety demanding answers on certain policies last week. Johnson agreed that the tools were helpful but had been riddled with corruption in use.
- Johnson advocated for the expansion of Medicaid. Wilson did not agree and said the state budget could not handle it in the long run.
- Wilson said he would support an extra five to 10 years of enhanced sentencing should a crime be committed out of hate, while Johnson said he would support a state hate crime law. South Carolina is one of two states without a statewide law on the matter.
- Wilson said his lieutenant governor running mate, state Sen. Mike Reichenbach, comes from a history of successful business and time in the state Senate. Wilson said he would focus on families in South Carolina. Johnson said Sam Skardon, his running mate from Charleston, comes from a background helping small businesses and would help them get tax breaks in the role. Skardon is also the former Charleston County Democratic Party chair.
- Johnson said he would back casino gambling if voters supported it. Wilson said he opposed casino gambling even if it were to pass a statewide referendum.
The candidates were also allowed to ask each other one question.
Wilson asked Johnson about his lack of legislative success in passing bills and hundreds of missed voted. Johnson pointed to the Republican supermajority in control, saying he had worked to cosponsor bills and compromise with GOP members of the General Assembly.
Johnson, meanwhile, questioned Wilson on his handling of the Horry County Scott Spivey case, but Wilson said that case was now out of his hands and in the possession of an Upstate prosecutor. Spivey was a North Carolina man shot to death during a road rage incident. His family has filed a federal lawsuit against the county and against several current and former officers.
Both candidates claimed to have won the debate afterward on social media.
But voters will ultimately decide who will be the state's next governor.
Other candidates on the ballot include United Citizens Party candidate Michael Addison and Green Party candidate Walid Hakim. They did not participate in Tuesday's debate.
Early voting will run from Monday, Oct. 19, to Saturday, Oct. 31. Polls will open each day except Sunday, Oct. 24, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Election Day is Nov. 3.
