Bravo's “Southern Charm” reality TV star and former state treasurer Thomas Lavenel has announced his 2026 South Carolina Governor bid.
“I am running for governor of South Carolina, but the light weights currently in the race are not going to stop me,” Lavenel wrote Thursday night. Post to social platform x. “There's a message that changes not just South Carolina, but the entire country.”
Ravenel served as state treasurer in 2007, but he resigned after being accused of purchasing cocaine in a federal complaint. He was sentenced to 10 months after pleading guilty to the charges.
He tried to run twice to the Senate. It was first attempted in 2004 and the second time in 2014 to challenge Sen. Lindsey Graham (Rs.C.) with an independent bid. He told Hill on Friday that he would run for governor as a Republican in 2026.
Now, he hopes to take over the term-limited Governor of South Carolina (R) by focusing his campaign on two issues: the state's education system and job creation.
“In South Carolina, you must guarantee the entire system, the education system, or allow competition through vouchers or publicly executed charter schools, but charter schools will notify you of all these regulations imposed by unions. You can get away with it, South Carolina,” Ravenel told Hill in a phone interview Friday.
“There is no teacher union here, but Congress wants to comply with national standards. These standards are set by the union, so schools need to allow the schools to be free to fire bad teachers. There is. The former Bravo reality TV star said:
Ravenel was a cast member of the reality television series “Southern Charm,” following Charleston's dating scene.
Show cut ties Former state treasurer in 2018. Earlier that year, he was arrested at Responding to the claim He sexually assaulted the nanny. Ravenel pleaded guilty in 2019 to a third-degree attack and battery.
Apart from improving K-12 education, Ravanel said it aims to turn South Carolina into a more competitive environment for creating jobs.
“Let's take a look at our neighboring countries in North Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Tennessee. Look at Texas, these places. So, because there are competitive tax systems, trillions of dollars are the ones that have these states. It's in. We don't,” he told the hill.
The governor's run application will not be available until next year, but other South Carolina legislators have already expressed interest in the state's top job.
Rep. Nancy Mace (Rs.C.) is pondering the governor's run herself, her spokesman confirmed to the hill.
“I was in the state legislature before, I have a great relationship in Washington now, and I have achieved the leadership we need to be bold to advance conservative policies. “The Mace, who has already been created, said in an interview last month that several state-level travels. “I've made a difference to the work I did here, and I know there's more to be done at the state level.”
Ravenel said he will not be worried about his competition, but will focus strictly on how to “improve the system.”
“I'll press my message and focus on what I can. And I'm not going to attack the other person. But when I run, it will focus on how I want to improve the system.” he told Hill.
“And if we can make this political comeback with a fair amount of numbers, we'll be obligated to impose necessary changes to the education system and tax system,” he said.
