South Carolina Democrats Choose Gubernatorial Candidate
On Tuesday, Democratic voters in South Carolina selected a former basketball player who is now a state legislator as their candidate for governor.
The state leans heavily Republican when it comes to its legislatures, having last seen a Democrat in the governor’s mansion in 2002 with Jim Hodges, who was defeated by the scandal-ridden Mark Sanford.
However, three Democrats with differing ideologies competed for the chance to be the first Democratic governor elected in this century.
State Rep. Jermaine Johnson, who represents areas in Richland and Kershaw counties, was announced as the winner by the Associated Press, after only launching his campaign a few months prior.
Interestingly, younger Democrats had previously unseated longtime incumbent Jimmy Bales back in 2020, thanks in part to support from CNN commentator and former state Rep. Bakari Sellers.
Johnson, who played college baseball at the College of Charleston before going undrafted in the 2009 NBA Draft, later joined the Reno Bighorns—later known as the Stockton Kings—in the NBA G League.
During recent debates, Johnson expressed frustration that other Democrats weren’t engaging in certain underrepresented areas of the state. “We’re going to places where we’ve never seen a candidate before, and people are motivated,” he noted.
His opponent in the primary, Mullins-McLeod, criticized Johnson for too readily aligning with the Republican supermajority, quipping, “It’s hard to throw stones when you’re not in the fight.”
Johnson commented on a recent environmental bill, remarking that it had improved the situation slightly, saying it was a step from a “terrible state” to “a slightly better state.”
Mullins-McLeod, a trial lawyer with a family history in state politics, laid out a clear campaign agenda. On his website, he stated, “Colombia’s system not only needs new leadership, as my opponents would have us believe. This system is not working as intended, and to fix it we must destroy it.”
He advocates for term limits, the elimination of “crony capitalism,” and reducing government by returning unspent budgets to taxpayers.
The final candidate, Billy Webster, is a businessman with connections to both the George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton administrations. He notes on his website that he started a voter registration drive from his Bojangles restaurant, believing that community support necessitates giving back.
Webster emphasizes his business experience and pragmatic approach to governance during debates, positioning himself as a problem solver focused on growth, infrastructure, and building consensus.
