South Carolina Governor (D): Jermaine Johnson, William M. 'Billy' Webster

JERMAINE JOHNSON

Why are you running?

I'm running to bring new leadership to South Carolina and build a state that we can be proud of. I'm going to fix the roads, provide better access to health care, especially mental health care, and make life here more affordable.

Have you run for political office before? If so, explain:

I have served three terms in the South Carolina State House of Representatives.

Where and how long have you lived in South Carolina?

I have lived in South Carolina since I began college here at the College of Charleston in 2004.

Current job/profession:

State representative

What makes you qualified for the seat?

I have a master's degree in management, a doctorate in business administration, and I've served the people of South Carolina for six years in the Statehouse, passing legislation to fix bridges, reduce taxes on seniors and erect a statue of a civil rights hero on the Statehouse grounds. But what truly makes me qualified is that I understand the struggles of working people, poor people, the marginalized and voiceless, and I know because I have been there. My family lived in motels, I had to feed myself as a child, and I rose from those struggles and became stronger for it. I am qualified because I care about the real problems facing people all across the state, and I don't want anyone to grow up hungry.

What challenges/concerns do you see in South Carolina (up to 3), especially relating to Sumter and the Midlands, and how do you intend to improve them?

The biggest challenges facing South Carolina are: our poor infrastructure, lack of access to health and mental health care and rising cost of living. To address our poor infrastructure, I will make sure our public works are properly funded and to shift responsibility (and funding) to counties and municipalities that can act faster than the state. For health care, I plan on expanding Medicaid and funding rural hospitals, guaranteeing there is an OBGYN in every county and making sure mental health is treated with the same urgency as physical health. To address affordability, I plan on building affordable housing, reducing the burden of income tax, mandating a livable, minimum wage and helping unions to secure better conditions for workers.

What successes have you seen that you want to build on?

While in office, I successfully lowered taxes for seniors, repaired a bridge that had been out of commission for a decade and got approval for a statue of Black civil rights hero Robert Smalls to be placed on the Statehouse grounds, the first statue of a Black man in our state's history. Those three actions represent how I intend to govern this state: fixing our infrastructure, centering people over profits and giving a voice to underserved communities.

Are you actively involved in your community? How so?

I am heavily involved in my community as its representative to the S.C. Statehouse. Additionally, I am an adjunct professor at Midlands Technical College, and I still play basketball in several local leagues.

WILLIAM M. 'BILLY' WEBSTER

Why are you running?

When it comes to experience, passion and determination, I believe that I am best equipped to lead our state, and I am the only candidate with a lifetime of business experience.

We are the fastest-growing state in the U.S.; we have added one million citizens here in the last 15 years, and we will add one million more in the next 10. We simply are not ready. Our infrastructure us inadequate; unmanaged growth and urban sprawl threaten our clean water, forests, family farms, salt marshes, estuaries, beaches and oceans. We have 500,000 uninsured South Carolinians, and the price of just about everything is going up. We need a governor who is used to solving complex issues. I am the only candidate that has done that.

Have you run for political office before? If so, explain:

No, I am not a career politician.

Where and how long have you lived in South Carolina?

I was born and raised here.

Current job/profession:

I am retired, though I teach health care policy at Wofford College.

What makes you qualified for the seat?

I started four successful businesses in four different industries and created thousands of jobs along the way. I have worked for two American presidents at the highest level of government, and I was chief of staff to former S.C. Gov. Dick Riley when he was the U.S. secretary of education. I chaired the board of the largest health care system in S.C. (Prisma Health). I chaired the board of Converse College in Spartanburg, and I chaired the board of The Nature Conservancy, the state's largest conservation organization. I have worked in the areas of education, conservation and health care all my life.

What challenges/concerns do you see in South Carolina (up to 3), especially relating to Sumter and the Midlands, and how do you intend to improve them?

Medicaid expansion will dramatically help underserved communities and rural communities. It will not only expand coverage for thousands of children and families in the Midlands, but it will also help keep rural hospitals open and reduce stress on working families. Expanding Medicaid will reduce crime (as it has in other states), and it will lower the cost of health insurance premiums for everyone.

In addition, infrastructure investment is essential for the Midlands' roads, bridges, water and sewer systems. Development must be carefully managed so that the impact of such development on the clean water and open lands (including family farms) is taken into consideration on the front end and after the developers have begun their projects.

What successes have you seen that you want to build on?

Gov. McMaster has been a responsible steward of South Carolina's most beautiful places. In Sumter County, Manchester State Forest as well as the PeeDee Basin Initiative are examples of significant land protection projects. We need to continue to build on these initiatives.

Are you actively involved in your community? How so?

Yes. I have chaired numerous boards in Greenville and Spartanburg in the areas of health care (Prisma Health and the Spartanburg Regional Hospital Cancer Center Foundation); in the area of education, I chaired the board of Converse College and Spartanburg Day School. I was also a founding director of the Upstate Warrior Solution, which focuses on the full range of issues affecting vets and first responders.