South Carolina governor (R) candidates Q&A: Pamela Evette, Ralph Norman, Rom Reddy and Alan Wilson

PAMELA EVETTE

Why are you running?

As a self-made businesswoman, Christian and mother of three, I'm running to lead our state forward and continue the conservative success we've seen under the McMaster-Evette Administration. I will work to advance President Trump's America First agenda and do whatever I can to make our state better for our people and future generations of South Carolinians. I will use everything I've learned in business, combined with my time in the executive branch, to "Keep South Carolina Winning."

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

I've served alongside Gov. Henry McMaster as lieutenant governor since 2019. We ran together and won in both 2018 and 2022.

Where and how long have you lived in South Carolina?

I currently reside in Travelers Rest. I've been blessed to call South Carolina home since 2005. I can think of no better place to build a business and raise my children.

Current job/profession:

Lieutenant governor of South Carolina

What makes you qualified for the seat?

I'm the only candidate in this race with 30+ years of business experience and eight years in the executive branch with a proven record of results in both.

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?

We must help individuals and families to keep more of their hard-earned money. We can do this by eliminating the state income tax once and for all and lowering property taxes. We must also run state government more efficiently by leveraging technology and rooting out waste, fraud and abuse.

Not only do we have to strengthen our families, but we also have to empower our small businesses that keep our communities strong by slashing the useless red tape that holds them back from starting, growing and succeeding. Anyone in the business world knows that time is money, so as governor, I will sunset all regulations and bring them back before the General Assembly for review.

It's no secret that our state is seeing unprecedented growth despite our broken roads and bridges. That is why I will bring together state and local leaders, stakeholders and innovators to develop a strategic blueprint to help our state manage this growth effectively, especially in energy, education and infrastructure.

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

I'm proud of the historic conservative success our state has seen over the last eight years under the McMaster/Evette Administration.

Together, we took a smart, conservative, common-sense approach to deliver real results for the people and businesses of South Carolina by delivering historic income tax cuts, banning sanctuary cities, advancing school choice, increasing pay for teachers and law enforcement, keeping biological men out of women's sports, protecting the unborn and keeping guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens.

By building on this conservative success, the possibilities are endless for South Carolina.

Are you actively involved in your community? How so?

Over the years, I have been very involved in my local community. Prior to becoming lieutenant governor, my husband and I invested both our time and treasure in myriad nonprofits including St. Jude Children's Hospital, Loaves & Fishes Greenville, American Red Cross, Prince of Peace Catholic Church, Fostering Great Ideas, Julie Valentine Center, The Meyer Center, United Way, American Heart Association, Pendleton Place, Upcountry History Museum and more.

As lieutenant governor, in partnership with PalmettoPride, I created the annual Grab A Bag SC Statewide Cleanup initiative in 2019 and participated in SC7 Expedition to raise awareness for floodwater prevention and the importance of protecting South Carolina's natural resources. I continue to be involved in both of these efforts.

I currently serve on St. Francis Foundation board of directors (affiliated with Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital) and have previously served on the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO) board where I am an emeritus member of the state legislative committee. I also served as a member of South Carolina's Small Business Regulatory Review Committee prior to taking office.

My family attends Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Taylors, and we continue to be active in our community as opportunities arise.

RALPH NORMAN

Why are you running?

Columbia has a corruption problem. People are treating being in office like a retirement plan; we are dumping millions of dollars into projects without an end date or transparency, and taxpayer dollars are treated like Monopoly money. No business would ever survive being run this way, and the good people of our state deserve so much better. We need someone with business experience who can streamline unnecessary processes, cut the unnecessary red tape and say no to companies that come in and run us dry.

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

I have represented the 5th Congressional District since 2017, and I served in the South Carolina House of Representatives prior to my service in Washington. For years, our people have elected me to represent them because of my backbone, commitment to integrity and unfiltered stance when standing up for what's right. Unlike many of the others, I have a business background. I have signed the back of a paycheck, balanced tight budgets and had families depend on me. My success has been critically dependent on performance. That's why I'm the only candidate with the essential legislative experience to navigate the system effectively and deliver real results without being part of the establishment's inner circle.

Where and how long have you lived in South Carolina?

I'm a lifelong South Carolinian. I was born and raised right here in Rock Hill. I grew up playing on these playgrounds and walking through our schools, and I have been incredibly blessed to always call our beautiful state home. I'd like to say that if I were born on the other side of the world, I would've ended up here anyway. You cannot find better people than right here.

Current job/profession:

I achieved success in real estate development and investment in our communities. I served as a CEO and worked alongside my father, who always instilled in me that people matter more than an extra dollar in your account. I now serve our community and volunteer in freedom groups and grassroots conservative organizations, bringing back much-needed principles to South Carolina. I could probably be on a beach somewhere in retirement, but I cannot sit on the sidelines as corruption runs rampant and watch South Carolinians pay the price.

What makes you qualified for the seat?

I have a unique balance of experience as an outsider. I am versed in our complex political system, understanding how it operates and where issues get caught in red tape or held up. I have seen firsthand the outrageous entitlement politicians feel they have to "power," or to your wallets, and I am no stranger to calling that out. Our system is rife with corruption, and just showing up brazenly without knowing how to accomplish goals is like putting a data analyst in as head coach at Clemson. I also have extensive executive experience, and I can tell you, running a large business demands grit, mental clarity, strategy and execution. You can't run a business without collaboration. I know how to evaluate return on investment in our rapidly growing state by focusing on what truly benefits our people. This balance, and a true CEO, is exactly what will move the needle with real results and success that our state feels.

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?

We The People are no longer in charge. Our judges are handpicked by our lawyers; our lawmakers can't be counted on to follow through. Bills are being pushed through left and right that have sneaky backdoor pay raises or clauses that have nothing to do with the issues at hand. People in office are experiencing life so differently from folks at home who make hard decisions and are affected by this entitlement. If we don't get someone in, not a part of this elitist club, but who knows who and what needs to go, then we won't recognize our state in four years.

Not to mention, our infrastructure is crumbling. Our bridges are on the verge of collapse, our roads are crumbling underneath us, and our buildings aren't being maintained. This doesn't look or sound like the South Carolina I know. The problem is not money. We dump millions of dollars into this problem, and we can't fill potholes with dollar bills. What we need is transparency through auditing, deadlines with measurable targets and an accountable person in charge of following through. My lieutenant governor will serve as my road czar so no one will complain about these same issues again.

Conservative principles are dying out. We have people in office who are trying to destroy the nuclear family, confusing our children and pushing radical ideology. Common sense isn't common anymore, and we have enough to tackle as it is. I am here to bring our constitutional, conservative principles back to our executive office that We The People want to be represented with.

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

I will continue to push for and advocate for transparency and accountability. I will not stop voicing what you have all affirmed: We The People deserve to have a voice and a clear view of what is happening behind closed doors. It's simple.

Are you actively involved in your community? How so?

Yes, I'm either out in communities across South Carolina, talking with and working alongside the people I represent, or I'm spending time with my family and my 17 grandchildren. I make it a priority to attend as many forums and grassroots events as possible and, most importantly, to be present for every vote I can in Washington. I am, and always will be, a dedicated public servant to the people who elected me.

ROM REDDY

Why are you running?

Money and power has been transferred from the citizen to the government. The government has used this transfer to weaponize itself against the citizen through a vast agency state and a judiciary that is no longer independent. We have the highest income tax of any red state, property taxes that are a life sentence and government spending at the state and local level that has doubled in the last 10 years. Yet our results in education, roads, median family income, violent crime or any major measurable outcome of spending is dismal and in the bottom 10 of states in the nation. I will end this madness and transfer money and power back to the citizen by eliminating the income tax, eliminating property taxes on cars, reducing agencies from 100-plus to 35, cutting regulations in half and restoring the three co-equal branches so the branches can hold each other in check.

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

I have never run for office before unlike the other candidates in the race for governor that have been in government for a combined 53 years! Like President Trump and Elon Musk, I attended the Wharton School for business and have spent my entire life in the private sector building and starting up manufacturing businesses and creating thousands of jobs.

Where and how long have you lived in South Carolina?

I first lived here in the late '80s and bought my first S.C. business in Summerville in 1990.

Current job/profession:

None. I have no business interests in S.C. or elsewhere. This combined with the fact that I am the first gubernatorial candidate in history to not accept any campaign donations makes me the grenade that needs to be thrown into the swamp to see what crawls out!

What makes you qualified for the seat?

Congress is about messaging and writing bills, most of which don't see the light of day. This is what the other candidates do, if they do anything at all. Governing is about results. None of the candidates other than me have any governing experience, leave alone getting results as they have demonstrated. Pamela says she is a businesswoman, but she was involved in an HR company that processes payroll for businesses. That is not business experience. It is a transactional experience. Norman was involved in a family real estate development company over 20 years ago. It's like having a cellphone that is 20 years old. The skill set is completely outdated besides being irrelevant to running an operational entity.

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?

I will not split the interests of the state. Overall, the issues are we are overtaxed, overregulated and have power concentrated in one branch (the legislative branch), which is what our founders defined as tyranny. A larger issue is we have no leadership. No one can name the leader of this state. Unless we fix that, we will continue down a path of all talk, social media moments and no results.

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

I have an unblemished record in the business world and have been CEO of multiple successful business ventures. In my last venture, I took an artificial turf company installing 22 sports stadiums annually in 18 states to 270 stadiums in all 50 states. Politically, as the founder of DOGESC, we developed bills for judicial reform and equal parenting as well as tools for forensic audits and regulatory cuts, all in about eight months. Our judicial reform bill passed the House with all 85 Republicans supporting it and is now in the Senate.

Are you actively involved in your community? How so?

My wife, Renee, and I operate a foundation that focuses on education and elimination of child trafficking. In S.C., the foundation has a pilot in Edgefield school district to use modern reading and math software to bring kids' reading and math skills up. Sixty-eight percent of fourth-graders cannot read at grade level in South Carolina. This is a disgrace. I will fix it.

ALAN WILSON

Why are you running?

I'm running because families across South Carolina are being squeezed by rising costs, and too many feel like they're falling behind. I've spent my career enforcing the law and holding bad actors accountable, and now I want to take that same mission to state government. As attorney general, I've seen a lot of bad government and incompetence that doesn't rise to a criminal level. But it still should be fixed and addressed. As governor, I will work to make South Carolina more affordable for families, more profitable for businesses and more accountable to the people.

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

Yes. I was first elected as South Carolina's 51st attorney general in 2010 and have been reelected four times.

Where and how long have you lived in South Carolina?

I have lived in South Carolina since I was 2 years old after being born on Fort Wolters in Texas. I currently live in Lexington with my family.

Current job/profession:

I serve as South Carolina's attorney general, the state's chief prosecutor and chief legal officer. I am also a 30-year combat veteran and colonel in the Army National Guard.

What makes you qualified for the seat?

I've spent over a decade leading as attorney general, working with law enforcement, prosecuting dangerous criminals and defending the rule of law. I've fought against federal overreach and defended South Carolina in court. I also served nearly 30 years in the South Carolina National Guard, including a combat tour in Iraq. That combination of legal, executive and military experience has prepared me to lead on day one. When you've had to make life and death decisions in a matter of seconds, it gives you the courage and discernment to lead and focus on what matters most.

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?

1. Affordability and cost of living - Families are feeling it at the grocery store, the gas pump and in their utility bills. I will cut wasteful spending, lower taxes and ensure government lives within its means and spends your hard-earned tax dollars responsibly and transparently.

2. Public safety and crime - Safe communities are the foundation of a strong state. I will continue backing law enforcement, enforcing our laws and ensuring violent criminals are held accountable to keep you and your family safe.

3. Government accountability and growth - State government has grown too fast without enough oversight. I will implement stronger auditing, transparency and accountability measures so taxpayer dollars are spent wisely, including in fast-growing regions like the Midlands. We have to expand in a sustainable, smart way that still respects the character of our communities or everything will come crumbling down, including our already strained roads and bridges.

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

We've made strong progress in public safety, working with law enforcement across all 46 counties to keep communities safe. We've also successfully defended South Carolina's laws and Constitution in court and built partnerships that strengthen our state. I want to build on that momentum by expanding economic opportunity, improving infrastructure and continuing to make South Carolina a great place to live, work and raise a family. We've strengthened our laws to go after drug traffickers, combat fentanyl and protect children from child predators. I want to continue that as governor.

Are you actively involved in your community? How so?

Yes. My role as attorney general requires constant engagement with communities across South Carolina. I regularly work with local law enforcement, community leaders and victims' advocacy groups. I am also actively involved in my church community at Saxe Gotha Presbyterian Church and have supported initiatives focused on strengthening families, serving those in need and giving back locally. My work is rooted in being present, listening and taking action to serve the people of this state. I believe public service is not for me, but for the people. The Office of Governor does not belong to any one person - it belongs to the people of South Carolina.