The 3 Democrats vying for SC governor’s seat take jabs at each other in SCETV debate

COLUMBIA — Three candidates seeking to become South Carolina’s first Democratic governor in more than two decades squared off in fiery rebuttals on live television June 3.

State Rep. Jermaine Johnson, attorney Mullins McLeod and businessman Billy Webster debated for an hour during SCETV’s Democratic gubernatorial square-off where McLeod attacked the other two candidates almost every chance he got to speak.

It was the second SCETV debate this week and all three candidates participated, compared with the Republican debate June 1 where only half the six candidates appeared.

Nearly every question, McLeod exceeded his allotted time, often using his messaging to attack his opponents.

Democrats face long odds in the November general election. The Palmetto State has not elected a Democratic governor in more than a quarter-century, and the party’s prospects have diminished in recent election cycles.

But the three candidates on the debate stage made it known they’re not afraid of the challenge.

“In this state there are at least 1.1 million people who are willing to vote for a Democrat and a Black person statewide,” Johnson said on his odds of winning, referencing the number of people who voted for Jaime Harrison in 2020 against Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham.

And while it wasn’t mentioned during the debate, Democratic early voter turnout has reached historic levels this election cycle. On the first day of early voting, Democratic primary voters outnumbered Republicans more than four-to-one, about 46,000 to 10,000. Early voting will end June 5.

While the three candidates largely agreed on broader policy like Medicaid and abortion access, they did have some key differences in opinions on issues like gambling and even how to work with the legislature.

Where candidates agreed

The three men largely agreed there are major issues that need to be addressed in the state’s health care systems, but went about addressing them in different ways.

Medicaid expansion was something all three candidates broadly agreed on, specifically tied to ensuring the state decreases the rise in infant mortality rates. All three believed there is corruption in the government.

All candidates had issues with data centers. McLeod labeled himself as the only anti-data center candidate, while Johnson boasted about his Statehouse experience in introducing a moratorium to stop data centers from coming into the state. Webster poked at flaws surrounding promises of transparency associated with the projects and the environmental hazards the centers bring.

Both Webster and Johnson went after Republicans who have campaigned on getting rid of the state income tax, saying it was unrealistic for the state to do so.

“We cannot eliminate the state income tax and even have a state that is recognizable in 10 years,” Webster said.

Where they disagreed

There were some stark disagreements, including how to go about working with the legislature. Johnson and Webster reflected on their time working across the aisle with Republicans while McLeod said bipartisanship is not the answer.

“More politics is not the answer. Bipartisanship is not the answer” McLeod said. “You know what’s been missing? The truth, the light … servant leaders who are willing to stand for the people of South Carolina.”

Public education was another area the candidates differed. Webster said there needs to be less regulations and restrictions on South Carolina teachers so that they are not so weighed down by requirements. Johnson proposed adding universal pre-K and McLeod said he wanted to pay teachers $85,000-$100,000 per year.

Candidates also had different answers on gambling. Johnson reflected on personal experiences where he saw gambling bring havoc to his family, but said the opening of casinos in South Carolina could be possible with great oversight. Webster said he didn’t have enough knowledge on the topic but could see the benefits that casinos could bring in the form of jobs in counties like Orangeburg if given proper regulation. McLeod said gambling causes problems and was against the opening of casinos.

Surprises

Much of the campaign attacks from Democratic candidates have been directed at Republicans, not necessarily each other. But the night was different.

Multiple times during the debate, McLeod went over his allotted time to try to attack Johnson or Webster. Both candidates repeated the same response in return, sometimes laughing, saying they had no idea what McLeod was talking about.

McLeod continued to reference both Webster and Johnson as being part of the corruption in South Carolina that he could “shine a light” on. He referred to himself as a servant more than six times.

“If you’re going to be on the stage and run for governor, you better start checking your facts,” Webster said to McLeod.