S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster reads a proclamation that recognizes April as the month of the military child at a ceremony in the Statehouse. Photo via U.S. Army National Guard.By Gov. Henry McMaster, special to Statehouse Report | When I became the first elected official in the country to endorse businessman and then-candidate Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential primary, the elites—and many people in my own party—called me a “crazy.” Most people did not recognize the conservative leadership in now — President Donald Trump. That’s the great thing about politics: you can go from being “crazy” to being “a genius” overnight.
I saw in President Trump what many did not see: a bold, conservative leader with the strength to make important changes in Washington. These were the same qualities I saw in Nikki Haley when I rallied South Carolinians for her both in the run-off and then the general election for governor in 2010.
I recognize and appreciate conservative leadership because I have been on the front lines of South Carolina’s conservative movement my entire life, and I have the record to show it.
As Ronald Reagan’s first U.S. attorney, I prosecuted scores of criminals, including international drug kingpins. As chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party, I worked with a team of dedicated men and women to win majorities in the House, Senate and constitutional offices for the first time in modern history. As attorney general, I led the charge of attorneys general across the country in suing the Obama administration for the unconstitutional, big-government overreach known as Obamacare. I locked up Internet child predators and domestic violence criminals. As co-chair of Nikki Haley’s Ethics Reform Commission, I authored the “gold standard” report, which resulted in important new laws and recommendations that increased accountability and transparency in state government.
Now, as your governor, I am working every day to build on the conservative successes we’ve achieved in the last several decades in South Carolina, making us a model for the nation.
I’ve signed an executive order that will end all state tax dollars to Planned Parenthood and other abortion clinics. We are about to enact a law which will totally block sanctuary cities in South Carolina. We will soon begin stationing armed, trained law enforcement officers in our schools to protect our children.
And just in the time since I’ve been your governor, we’ve announced more than 20,000 new jobs and $6 billion in investment from new businesses, manufacturing plants and expansions. Major companies look all around the world to invest, then they choose South Carolina again and again.
These companies—like Samsung, BMW, Volvo and Harbor Freight Tools—invest here because they know what we have to offer: incomparable transportation and logistics through our magnificent Port of Charleston and two inland ports; and our top-notch four-year colleges, research universities and two-year technical colleges, which work vigorously and seamlessly to produce the best, brightest and most dependable workforce in the country.
Today, more people are working in South Carolina than ever before, and I am committed to expanding that workforce with even more enhanced and accelerated training in the trades and technologies, apprenticeships, and dual enrollment opportunities among our high schools, businesses, technical colleges and manufacturers. We have 60,000 high-paying, highly-skilled jobs right now in South Carolina eagerly seeking these workers.
As your governor, I will continue to fight for tax cuts. Lower taxes mean more money in your pockets—you earned it, it belongs to you, you should decide how to spend it. High taxes for the government destroy rising prosperity for the people.
We must get government out of the way of businesses. Burdensome and needless regulations suffocate growth and economic progress for future generations, and I will not let that happen.
These are the first steps to achieving our fullest potential, and with the endorsement of President Trump and support of the dedicated people of South Carolina, I know we can achieve anything. Experienced leadership coupled with innovative ideas and vision is what it takes to usher in an era of unprecedented greatness in South Carolina. That’s what I am working for as your governor and will continue to work for every day.
Columbia attorney Henry McMaster is the 117th governor of South Carolina. A former lieutenant governor and state attorney general, he is running to continue his service as governor. More: HenryMcmaster.com
EDITOR’S NOTE: Through June 12, Statehouse Report is running opinion pieces by gubernatorial candidates with primary challengers. Five Republicans and three Democratic candidates for governor have been invited to submit messages they want to share with voters.
Recent candidate contributors
- GOP, McGill: South Carolina is worth fighting for(April 19)
- GOP, Templeton: “The called me the ‘Buzzsaw’”(May 3)
- GOP, Warren: “We deserve better from our leaders” (May 10)
- DEM, Willis: People run for office for lots of reasons(May 16)
- DEM, Noble: “It is never too late to do what we know is right” (May 21)
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We Can Do Better, South Carolina!