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Rom Reddy shares his vision for the governor’s office

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Rom Reddy shares his vision for the governor’s office


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  • Businessman Rom Reddy has joined the Republican primary race for South Carolina governor.
  • Reddy positions himself as a political outsider, contrasting with what he calls the “ruling class.”
  • His campaign priorities include eliminating the state income tax and increasing the governor’s executive authority.
  • Reddy is self-funding his campaign and will not accept donations or seek endorsements.

Editor’s note: The Greenville News invited all current gubernatorial candidates to a sit-down interview on their campaigns and plans for the governor’s office.

Rom Reddy, founder of DOGE SC, became the latest Republican to join the governor’s race on March 16.

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He said what sets him a part from other candidates is that he is not a part of the “ruling class,” a term he uses to describe political figures who have held power for many years. His competitors in the Republican primary race are U.S. Reps. Ralph Norman, District 5, and Nancy Mace, District 1, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, and State Sen. Josh Kimbrell, Spartanburg.

Reddy recently sat down with The Greenville News for a conversation on why he thinks he is the right candidate for office.

Who is Rom Reddy?

Rom Reddy is an Isle of Palms businessman who became a political figure in South Carolina after launching DOGE SC, a political action committee modeled after the federal government’s Department of Government Efficiency.

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In his early career, Reddy worked for Exxon Chemical after graduating from the Wharton Business School. According to the candidate, he held several different positions within the company before becoming the general manager of a joint Exxon and Dow Chemical venture.

He said he ended up buying the Exxon facility in Summerville, South Carolina with a business partner — launching his start as an entrepreneur.

“After that I built businesses, sold businesses (and) started businesses,” Reddy said, noting that the companies he has built or restructured focus on manufacturing, artificial turf and packaging.

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Reddy’s career shifted to politics when he launched DOGE SC in 2025. According to Reddy, DOGE SC was in part born out of a property rights issue over the construction of a seawall on his Isle of Palms beachfront home. Reddy is involved in an ongoing legal dispute about the legality of a seawall he built on his property.

“It just kind of evolved from there,” Reddy said. “It just caught fire and kept growing and growing and growing.”

Making the decision to run for governor

Reddy said he was not planning on running for the governor’s office, but he felt compelled to enter the race after not seeing a candidate emerge that supported the DOGE SC agenda. According to DOGE SC’s website, the organization’s goal is to advance causes like eliminating the state’s income tax, reduce the number of state agencies, and remove the legislature’s ability to elect judges.

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“The last thing I want to do was be in political office,” Reddy said.

The Lowcountry businessman decided to enter the race on March 16, the start of the candidate filing period in South Carolina. He describes his opponents as part of a “ruling class” that has been in power for a long time, saying that he offers something “different” to South Carolinians.

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“I felt like someone from the outside need to be in to really make change in the state,” Reddy said. “No one stepped in, so finally we said we’re going to step in.”

Stance on endorsements and campaign donations

Reddy said upon launching his gubernatorial campaign that he will not accept campaign donations and will not make plays for endorsements. He believes accepting campaign donations from large political action committees feeds into corruption in politics.

“It just corrupts the whole process.”

As for endorsements, Reddy said he cannot control who voices their support for his campaign, but he won’t be pushing for any candidate’s endorsements.

“Why would I want an elected official telling you how to vote for another elected official?” Reddy said, remarking that voters should make the decision on who to vote for themselves based on a candidate’s policy stance. “We shouldn’t dumb the process down.”

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Top issues and campaign priorities

Many of Reddy’s policies reflect the DOGE SC platform, including phasing out the state’s income tax and changing the state’s process for electing judges. Reddy also wants to give the governor more executive authority in the state, which is an agenda point that sets him apart from other Republican candidates.

To give the governor more power, Reddy wants to create a cabinet under the governor’s oversight that would take over some of the responsibilities of state agencies. He also wants to create an Office of the Citizen for a direct line of communication between South Carolinians and the governor.

“We’ve got to reassert executive authority,” Reddy said.

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Other agenda points focus on boosting the state’s education, infrastructure, crime rates and median family income. To improve the state’s road conditions, the candidate wants to create a South Carolina Department of Transportation commissioner position, which would be governor-appointed. He also wants to limit the number of state-owned roads and cut SCDOT regulations.

“We keep doing the same thing over and over again and look where it’s gotten us.”

Who else is in the race?

Reddy is running against Evette, Norman, Wilson, Kimbrell and Mace in the Republican gubernatorial primary. There are also three Democratic candidates competing for their party’s nomination: Greenville businessman and former Bill Clinton staffer Billy Webster, State Rep. Jermaine Johnson, Richland, and Charleston attorney Mullins McLeod.

The South Carolina primary election is June 9,. Whoever wins the Republican and Democrat nominations will face off in the general election on Nov. 3.

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Bella Carpentier covers the South Carolina legislature, state, and Greenville County politics. Contact her at bcarpentier@gannett.com



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South Carolina vs UCLA prediction, national championship analysis, March Madness expert picks

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South Carolina vs UCLA prediction, national championship analysis, March Madness expert picks


The women’s 2026 NCAA Tournament concludes Sunday as No. 1 South Carolina and No. 1 UCLA battle for the national championship live on ABC and ESPN at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Head coach Dawn Staley and South Carolina are seeking their fourth title since 2017. The Lauren Betts, KiKi Rice and the Bruins are hoping to win the NCAA tournament for the first time in their program’s history.

USA TODAY Sports’ college basketball experts have analyzed all the angles and determined a path to victory for each side. Here’s everything you need to know — including how to watch, betting odds and analysis — before the Sweet 16 matchup tips off.

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Stay up to date with USA TODAY’s team of journalists covering the women’s NCAA Tournament throughout the 68-team dance.

Favorite national championship storyline

  • Nancy Armour: Ta’Niya Latson. She transferred to South Carolina just for this moment and has made the most of it. 
  • Meghan Hall: South Carolina getting to/potentially winning a title with no “stars.”
  • Heather Burns: UCLA winning its first title since 1978.
  • Cydney Henderson: The Dawn Staley-Raven Johnson has been special to watch, as is the Lauren Betts-Cori Close bond. Seeing the seniors close out their college careers will be something to watch. 

South Carolina will win National Championship game vs UCLA if…

  • Nancy Armour: It has another smothering defensive performance.
  • Meghan Hall: It takes away UCLAs ability to move the ball and limit everyone else outside of Lauren Betts.
  • Heather Burns: it plays the kind of disruptive, dominating defense it did against UConn.
  • Cydney Henderson: South Carolina put on a defensive masterclass against UConn and the Gamecocks will walk away with another national championship if they can slow down Lauren Betts and shrink the floor.

UCLA will win National Championship game vs South Carolina  if…

  • Nancy Armour: Lauren Betts can create space for herself inside.
  • Meghan Hall: It can match South Carolina’s defense for four quarters.
  • Heather Burns: It dominates the paint with Lauren Betts on both offense and defense.
  • Cydney Henderson: Three words: Feed Lauren Betts.

South Carolina vs UCLA: 1 Stat to watch

  • Nancy Armour: UCLA had 23 turnovers against Texas and still won. It’s going to need to tighten up against an opportunistic South Carolina.
  • Meghan Hall: Fast break points and second chance points.
  • Heather Burns: Points off turnovers: Whichever teams can score the most points in transition will win.
  • Cydney Henderson: Turnovers. UCLA had 23 turnovers in their Final Four win. South Carolina’s defense is stout and will look to capitalize on takeaways.

South Carolina bold prediction

  • Nancy Armour: Tessa Johnson is going to go off. She won’t go 0-for-3 from deep like she did against UConn. 
  • Meghan Hall: Agot Makeer makes a championship-sealing basket.
  • Heather Burns: Raven Johnson, who spent a lot of her time shutting down Azzi Fudd in the semifinals, will hit at least three 3-pointers.
  • Cydney Henderson: Freshman Agot Makeer will have a career-high points off the bench. 

UCLA bold prediction

  • Nancy Armour: Lauren Betts will have another big game but she won’t get enough help. 
  • Meghan Hall: Lauren Betts scores 40 points
  • Heather Burns: Lauren Betts will notch her second double of the weekend and win MOP.
  • Cydney Henderson: Senior guard Kiki Rice has a signature game to end her college career. 

March Madness Most Outstanding Player winner

  • Nancy Armour: Ta’Niya Latson — She was spectacular against UConn and will be hard for UCLA to contain. 
  • Meghan Hall: Raven Johnson — Johnson is the heart and soul of South Carolina. Everything, on both sides of the ball, starts and ends with her.
  • Heather Burns: Lauren Betts — UCLA won in the semifinals because of her play on both sides and THE block in the final seconds. 
  • Cydney Henderson: Ta’Niya Latson — Sunday will mark Ta’Niya Latson’s first national championship appearance, but she’ll look just at home with an offensive performance that will lead South Carolina to a championship.

South Carolina vs UCLA National Championship winner

  • Nancy Armour: South Carolina
  • Meghan Hall: South Carolina
  • Heather Burns: UCLA
  • Cydney Henderson: South Carolina

No. 1 South Carolina vs No. 1 UCLA

  • Opening Moneyline: South Carolina (-185), UCLA (+154)
  • Opening Spread: South Carolina (-1.5)
  • Opening Total: 133.5

How to Watch South Carolina vs UCLA in the National Championship

No. 1 South Carolina takes on No. 1 UCLA at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 5 at 3:30 PM The game is airing on ESPN and ABC.

Stream March Madness on Fubo

2026 Women’s NCAA Tournament full schedule

  • March 18-19: First Four
  • March 20-21: First Round
  • March 22-23: Second Round
  • March 27-28: Sweet 16
  • March 29-30: Elite 8
  • April 3: Final Four
  • April 5: National Championship



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Showdown in Phoenix. South Carolina, UCLA meet for national title

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Showdown in Phoenix. South Carolina, UCLA meet for national title


The teams in the Women’s Final Four might have been a repeat of the previous year, but the national championship will be different. 

South Carolina avenged the 2025 national championship loss against UConn and ended the Huskies’ undefeated campaign in the Final Four. 

UCLA got the better of Texas since losing to the Longhorns in November, and continued the 30-game winning streak that transpired since with a statement win. 

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The epic conclusion to the season will take place at Mortgage Matchup Center on Sunday, April 5, at 12:30 p.m. MST.

UCLA will play for its first national championship, while South Carolina will try for its fourth title and third in five years. 

What the Gamecocks can do to win 

South Carolina’s defense exploited UConn’s shooting struggles and ran away with an 11-1 run to end the game.  

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Several players have stepped up offensively throughout the NCAA Tournament. Against UConn, Ta’Niya Latson used her athleticism to float to the rim and came away with 16 points, including 10 from free throws.  

Agot Makeer has been effective off the bench, averaging 14.3 points per game and using her length to impact the game on both ends. 

The Gamecocks have size in 6-foot-6 center Madina Okot, but it was 5-foot-9 guard Raven Johnson who really impressed on the defensive end. Johnson matched up against 6-foot-2 forward and National Player of the Year Sarah Strong and held her to 4-of-16 shooting.  

“We went to a smaller lineup just to match what they were doing out there. I mean, Raven thrives on any matchup, right?” coach Dawn Staley said.  

Staley added that Johnson guarded taller players than Strong in the past, including 6-foot-5 Kentucky center Clara Strack. 

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“We know she’s fearless when it comes to who she’s guarding. She takes really great pride in not letting people score on her,” Staley said. “When you have a guard like that that has elite defensive skills, you let ’em be great.” 

Johnson, one of the veterans on a younger South Carolina team, will play a significant role in the national championship and will go up against the best offense in the country.  

What the Bruins can do to win 

UCLA didn’t have the best night offensively in the Final Four, but the defense came through against Texas.  

Texas cut UCLA’s 10-point lead to three late in the game, but Lauren Betts got a big block with 18.1 seconds to go on a would-be Madison Booker layup to help the Bruins advance. 

Betts will undoubtedly draw a lot of South Carolina’s defensive attention, as she did with Texas, but it opens the floor for UCLA’s shooters such as Gianna Kneepkens. 

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“The amount she draws in on offense helps all the guards, because you can go one-on-one, but I don’t know, that’s a choice if you want to make it,” Kneepkens said. “If they double, she’ll kick it out because she’s a great passer.” 

UCLA managed to get past Texas without its offense clicking, but Kneepkens played a role with two 3-pointers on five shots.  

What got UCLA ahead was Betts, a 6-foot-7 center, providing an intimidating presence inside. The Gamecocks didn’t face a lot of size in the Final Four, which will require adjustments. Texas tried against Betts, but saw three shots blocked from her, while Angela Dugalic blocked two.  

UCLA is new to the national championship, but it is an experienced group with six players graduating. Betts, Kiki Rice and Gabriela Jaquez have spent three seasons together.  

“We want this so bad for each other,” Betts said. “The way we come out, the way we prep, the way we practice, the way we work on defense, the way we go for steals, that’s all because we just want to earn more days with each other.

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“We want to make history. We want to do this for each other.” 

Reach the reporter or send tips for stories at jenna.ortiz@arizonarepublic.com, as well as @jennarortiz on X. 

Catch the best high school sports coverage in the state. Sign up for Azcentral Preps Now. And be sure to subscribe to our daily sports newsletters so you don’t miss a thing. 



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NCAA women’s Final Four: UConn v South Carolina, UCLA v Texas – live updates

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NCAA women’s Final Four: UConn v South Carolina, UCLA v Texas – live updates


Key events

South Carolina 40-39 UConn, 0:46 left, third quarter: South Carolina thought they had UConn trapped, but the Huskies work the ball around to a wide-open Quiñónez, who atones for her fouls by hitting the open 3-pointer. Raven Johnson turns it over, and at last, Azzi Fudd hits a 3.

Nine points in about 90 seconds.

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