S.C. GOP RUNOFF GUBERNATORIAL DEBATE

[16:22] Well, good evening, everyone. [16:23] Nick Reagan here from our first alert desk for our special coverage of the runoff gubernatorial debate, [16:29] the SCGOP debate that is happening up at Coastal Carolina University. [16:34] Of course, we've got our Raphael James up there right now getting ready to be one of the moderators up there. [16:39] We're going to come to him in just a moment. [16:40] But first, we're going to get you all caught up on everything you need to know [16:44] so that when we head to that debate that's going to start promptly at 7 o'clock, [16:48] you're going to be ready for all the fireworks that may happen. [16:51] But before we get there, we want to encourage you, if you are watching on one of our social media streams, [16:57] to use that comment section and let us know who you think is winning, who you think is losing, [17:01] who you like, who you don't like, and what issues matter the most to you. [17:05] We want to hear from you. [17:07] And, of course, if you are watching on our streaming service, you can always send us an email. [17:12] There's the email right there. [17:14] It's WCSCpolitics at live, the number five, news.com. [17:19] I reply personally to all of those emails. [17:21] So drop me a line. [17:23] I'd love to hear from you. [17:24] Even if it's just a greeting, I'll shoot you a greeting back as well. [17:28] And we can have a little conversation, of course. [17:30] That's what we like to have here during political season. [17:33] So, again, if you're watching on social media, use the comment section. [17:37] Let us know who you like and who you don't like. [17:39] And if you are on our streaming devices, go ahead, shoot us an email, WCSCpolitics at live, the number five, news.com. [17:49] We're going to take a real quick peek into that debate stage as things are getting started here in about half an hour. [17:57] The debate will start promptly at 7 o'clock. [17:59] It's being brought to you in partnership with the SCGOP and Gray Media. [18:04] That's, of course, us here at Live 5 and all of our sister stations around the state bringing you that debate. [18:11] There you go. [18:12] You can see the stage there. [18:13] Crowded room. [18:14] Those moderators there in the back getting ready as well. [18:17] But let's talk about who's going to be on the stage tonight. [18:21] If you have been paying attention at all, and if you haven't, you probably know already as well. [18:26] Alan Wilson, the Attorney General, and Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evitt. [18:29] Those are going to be the two people on the debate stage tonight. [18:33] Of course, Alan Wilson has been on the debate stage every single debate that we have had so far. [18:40] Pamela Evitt has only been in one other debate. [18:42] She chose not to attend the first debate and the third debate despite being one of the leading candidates throughout this entire race. [18:51] Of course, Wilson and Evitt, they've been the top two this whole time. [18:56] Most of those polls putting them in one of the top three positions. [19:00] But typically those top two slots, it's been a Wilson-Evitt slugfest here for the last couple of months. [19:06] But a last-minute anti-establishment candidate in millionaire Rom Ready threatened those spots. [19:11] And, of course, we've got that late-game surge in the polls from Representative Ralph Norman, who nearly toppled Wilson for that second-place finish. [19:19] Of course, Norman, though, finishing in that third place. [19:22] And after all of this, again, it is Wilson and Evitt, those final two standing. [19:27] Jacqueline Hicks-DeBose, she was decertified before the primary. [19:31] State Senator Josh Kimbrell, he suspended his campaign shortly before the election. [19:35] And then Representative Nancy Mace, massively underperformed expectations, finishing in fifth place last Tuesday. [19:43] It was a big L for her that night. [19:46] Of course, our sister station, Fox Carolina, they have been doing some phenomenal coverage of this race. [19:52] And they sat down with both of those candidates before the debate to get their thoughts heading in and sort of get their pitch to voters. [20:02] Let's take a listen to that now. [20:04] Well, because I have the resume to do that job. [20:06] You know, we have – if you want to talk about getting our roads done quickly, we're doing that, right? [20:12] We passed the DOT modernization bill. [20:15] That's going to put a lot of emphasis on who the governor is because now it's going to become a cabinet position. [20:21] The people of South Carolina are going to have one person to blame if they don't like the way things are going. [20:24] I want to get rid of a lot of those regulations that stop it because only business people really understand that time is money. [20:33] And the quicker we can get things done, the cheaper it ends up becoming, the more we can do. [20:37] And so when it comes to cutting taxes, who would you rather – or eliminating taxes – who would you rather have do it? [20:44] An accountant and a business person or a career politician? [20:46] So when people hear my story, how I've led soldiers in combat, how I've led from the front, how I've recovered $2 billion for the state of South Carolina, they're like, that guy gets results. [20:59] And so that is what I think has resonated with the people of the state. [21:02] As governor, I intend to take that same passion, conviction, and that skill set that I've used as attorney general to cut the income tax, to lower their property taxes, to doge fraud, waste, and abuse from government, to fix our crumbling roads and bridges, lower people's utility rates, and to promote a kid's first education agenda. [21:22] People love that, and they want someone who has the courage and the conviction to deliver it. [21:30] All right, well, there you go. [21:31] There are your candidates there giving their final pitches to voters before they head to that debate stage. [21:36] I want to take a closer look at the election results from last Tuesday. [21:41] On your screen there, this coming straight from the state of South Carolina's website here, SC Votes, you can see the totals there. [21:47] Pamela Evatt, she is the top vote-getter, 28%, about 29% actually, of the vote, with 136,000 votes, followed there by Alan Wilson. [22:00] He got 26% of the vote total, with 123,000 votes, just about 12,000 votes shy of Evatt. [22:09] If we want to take a closer look at the actual breakdown of where all these votes come from, we've got a handy little map here that will give us everything. [22:17] We need and want to know, there in the light blue, that is going to be Attorney General Alan Wilson's color. [22:22] Those are all the counties that he's won. [22:26] Then the dark blue is the lieutenant governor with the counties that she's won. [22:31] And you'll notice those five counties in the top of the state there, that is Ralph Norman's victory. [22:37] He won five counties, 80,000 votes. [22:39] And, of course, both candidates were vying for his endorsement. [22:44] And we'll get to that here in just a minute. [22:46] But let's take a look at their pockets of power, if you will. [22:50] You see Wilson is taking the Lowcountry, and he's taking the Lowcountry pretty substantially here with Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties, Colton as well, all falling in line there with Wilson. [23:00] He's got a lot of support there. [23:02] He's also got a lot of support in the Richland area, the Lexington area. [23:06] Of course, that is where Wilson is from. [23:09] West Columbia, I believe, is where he was born. [23:11] So he has won those counties. [23:13] The only Lowcountry, major Lowcountry county he didn't win was the Beaufort area. [23:18] And we can take a look, a closer look at that. [23:21] Very, very competitive, 24 to 28 percent there. [23:24] Let's go and take a closer look at the lieutenant governor's victories here. [23:29] She's won some of these rural counties, what I would call the Clyburn Corridor, if you will. [23:35] All of these counties up in here, Orangeburg, Sumter, Lee, Clarendon, that's where she's gotten a lot of her votes. [23:43] And she's remained competitive up here in the upstate with Spartanburg, most notably a county that she won outright. [23:50] But her real center of power is right up here in the PD region, Horry County, one of the biggest conservative areas of the state. [23:58] She won more than 50 percent of the vote there. [24:00] That's 20,000 votes. And Alan Wilson did not do well in this area. [24:05] Fifteen percent of the vote to Evitt's 50 percent. [24:09] That's a big area for Evitt and a big area that Wilson needs to be more competitive in. [24:16] Georgetown, roughly the same story, a little closer there, 35, 25. [24:20] Up here, Marion, 26, 44 for Evitt. [24:23] I think up here in Marlboro, she has won 59 percent of the vote. [24:29] Now, granted, it's less than 600 votes total, but the percentage is pretty significant. [24:35] But the thing that everybody is going to be after here is this county right here, Greenville County. [24:40] And neither Evitt nor Wilson won this county. [24:43] It was won by Ralph Norman. [24:45] He took 24 percent. [24:47] And, of course, this was a close county, Wilson, 23 percent to Evitt's, 22 percent. [24:54] But this is where the most voters are in the state. [24:57] You've got about 300,000 voters there. [24:59] It is also one of the most Republican areas of the state. [25:02] So they are going to be competing for that very, very heavily there. [25:06] And, of course, Ralph Norman's endorsement is going to play a big role because he won those five counties. [25:11] And he also won the all-important Greenville County area. [25:17] And we did get an endorsement from Ralph Norman. [25:20] This was earlier this week, I believe. [25:24] I got my days kind of confused. [25:25] But Ralph Norman did make that endorsement, and he did endorse Alan Wilson. [25:32] Again, he won 80,000 votes and five counties. [25:36] It's a huge blow for Evitt where she needs to be more competitive in that York area. [25:40] And the Greenville area as well. [25:43] The silver lining, though, for Evitt is that a lot of the counties that Norman won, Wilson did not do very well. [25:50] So the exception being Greenville, which is very important. [25:52] But if we look at areas like York, for example, you can see Alan Wilson got 13 percent of the vote to Pamela Evitt's 23. [26:00] If you want to look at, say, Union County, and these are smaller counties, but Evitt, again, outpacing Wilson by a fair amount. [26:07] Cherokee is about the same story as well, 27 to 14 percent. [26:11] So she does very well there. [26:13] But that Norman endorsement could be a big deal. [26:15] In his endorsement of Alan Wilson, Norman said that he just believes that Alan Wilson is the right person for the job. [26:23] And that when he talked to Pamela Evitt, he didn't get her vision for the state. [26:30] Here's a soundbite of Norman saying why he supports Wilson. [26:35] The person that will cut wasteful spending. [26:38] The person that will lower our taxes, fix our roads. [26:41] The person who will empower our small businesses, which are the lifeline of this great state. [26:48] And move South Carolina in a more conservative direction, which is definitely what we need. [26:56] Today, I'm excited to announce my complete endorsement of Attorney General Alan Wilson. [27:05] South Carolina can't take another eight years of more of the same. [27:09] The backroom deals, failing roads, and corrupted judicial system. [27:14] Sky-high taxes and increased wasteful spending. [27:17] We need a battle-tested conservative to get down to Columbia and clean up the mess. [27:24] And, folks, one of the big things with me is gambling. [27:27] That's a backdoor tax that we can't have. [27:29] I'm happy that the churches have stood up and opposed gambling. [27:34] And Alan Wilson has given us his word. [27:38] And he'll follow through on stopping gambling if it comes across his desk. [27:44] All right. [27:45] Well, there you go. [27:45] We do want to touch on that endorsement battle there. [27:48] You can see it on your screen. [27:49] Alan Wilson has won the endorsement of three of his fellow opponents, or former opponents, rather, [27:55] that being Representative Nancy Mace, who says that they buried the hatchet a few weeks before the actual primary election. [28:03] And on election night, when she conceded, she threw her full support behind Alan Wilson. [28:09] You just heard Norman endorsing Wilson. [28:11] And then State Senator Josh Kimbrough, before he dipped out, he also threw his support behind Wilson. [28:17] Ram Reddy there, he's grayed out in that picture because Ram Reddy is not making an endorsement after he lost the primary. [28:24] But Pamela Evett, of course, she's got those big, heavy-hitting endorsements of Governor Henry McMaster and, of course, the president, Donald Trump. [28:32] And she has been touting that endorsement quite significantly. [28:36] So we'll have to see whose endorsement matters the most to the voters of South Carolina. [28:42] Now, we do have Rafael James. [28:45] He is down at that debate getting ready to be one of the moderators there. [28:49] And we do have some sound from him. [28:53] He sends over this report that we are going to go to right now. [28:58] Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evett and Attorney General Alan Wilson are all set to take the stage here tonight in Conway, South Carolina, [29:06] to talk about the issues that are important to South Carolina voters. [29:11] This is the first time these two will be sharing a stage since the College of Charleston at the Sotilli Theater. [29:18] Tonight, they'll be talking about many different things that are important to the citizens of South Carolina, [29:24] including roads, taxes, infrastructure, the things that you have let us know are important to you. [29:30] Evett has the endorsement of Governor Henry McMaster and President Trump. [29:35] Wilson has been endorsed by former candidates, Congresswoman Nancy Mason Ralph Norman. [29:40] But there have been talks that President Trump might endorse both of these candidates. [29:46] Of course, we'll have to continue to watch to see what happens. [29:49] That debate takes place right here on Live 5 News at 7 o'clock, and we'll be streaming it on our digital platforms as well. [29:58] And then, after the debate, after you hear what both of these candidates have to say, [30:03] you can go out and vote for them as early as tomorrow morning, as early voting begins. [30:09] Reporting from Coastal Carolina University, I'm Rafael James. [30:13] Back to you. [30:20] All right, thanks, Ralph. [30:21] And just a little peek behind the curtain there. [30:23] Ralph actually sent that story over for our broadcast, so if you are watching on stream, you're already here, so don't need to go there. [30:32] But before we head to the debate here, we want to take a look at some of the recent polling you saw. [30:37] Ralph kind of alluded to it just a little bit here, but these are some of the latest polls. [30:42] And, in fact, there are some polls that came out today that didn't actually make it onto this 270 to win website, [30:49] which just collates or brings together all of the recent polling. [30:54] You can see a big shift from before the primary where Evitt was leading. [30:59] Now, Alan Wilson seems to be ahead 46 percent to 39 percent with 15 undecided. [31:05] That's a pretty big lead for Wilson. [31:08] And just today, again, not captured here in this data, just today another poll was released. [31:14] This one also allegedly an independent poll from JMC Analytics. [31:18] It shows Wilson with an even larger lead at 59 percent to 25 percent of likely runoff voters. [31:26] That would be a huge departure from what we saw last week, where Evitt actually won, what, about 29 percent of the vote. [31:35] So she's coming in at 25 percent of the vote. [31:37] That is a huge step back from last week. [31:41] Of course, runoff elections usually have significantly lower turnouts. [31:45] So anybody, it's kind of anybody's game in terms of who will be winning that runoff election. [31:52] But we'll have to wait and find out. [31:54] Let's go ahead and take another peek inside of the debate here. [31:58] Folks getting ready. [32:00] I think there's actually some conversations happening with the audience there telling folks that they, you know, the rules and whatnot. [32:11] So we're going to be watching that closely here as we get ready for our next, as we get ready for that debate. [32:22] We're going to be watching closely to make sure that folks are staying in line. [32:25] Of course, it should be a rowdy one, should be a good one, good debate back and forth with just the two candidates on the stage. [32:32] We should be able to get a substantive divide between the two so we can figure out exactly who we want to vote for. [32:39] But let's go ahead and take a closer look at the backgrounds of each of these candidates. [32:45] The first candidate to announce his campaign, Attorney General Allen Wilson, has his sights set on the governor's mansion. [33:05] I want to get out there and I'm going to fight for you. [33:07] A colonel in the Army National Guard and an Eagle Scout, Wilson earned his law degree in 2002 from the University of South Carolina School of Law. [33:16] The adopted son of U.S. Representative Joe Wilson, politics came naturally. [33:21] Just eight years after graduating law school, Wilson would win his first political campaign and assume the role of Attorney General. [33:29] He'd go on to serve four terms in the AG's office before announcing his bid for governor. [33:34] Throughout his tenure at the top of the state's justice system, Wilson expanded the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force [33:41] and has gotten laws passed specifically to go after human trafficking. [33:45] He's racked up the endorsement of nearly every sheriff in the state. [33:49] However, he has routinely run into criticism for arresting predators that end up back on the streets with charges dropped or reduced [33:57] and little, if any, time served behind bars. [34:01] To shore up his commitment to family values and to show a close working relationship with the state legislature, [34:07] Wilson took the unusual move of announcing his running mate early. [34:11] That running mate, State Senator Mike Rickenbaugh. [34:14] As the law enforcement candidate, Wilson promises to continue to crack down on crime [34:19] and put an end to a justice system rife with problems, all while staying in lockstep with President Donald Trump. [34:26] Wilson may support Trump, but it's his opponent, Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evatt, who has the president's endorsement. [34:32] Not only that, but she's also locked up the highly coveted endorsement of Governor Henry McMaster, [34:37] which is no surprise as Evatt has sat at his right hand for two administrations. [34:43] The pair met at a pro-Trump event well before Evatt jumped into politics. [34:47] A businesswoman who made her name running a payroll company in the upstate, her very first political job came with the Lieutenant Governor Post. [34:57] Routinely, she's positioned herself as a pro-Trump, pro-family, pro-business candidate, promising to clean up Columbia with a Doge-like organization. [35:05] Evatt claims she's not a career politician, but her opponents argue she's been backdoor dealing in the good old boy system like a Ben here this whole time, [35:15] most recently stumbling into controversy after Trump suggested Evatt might pick McMaster's son to be her running mate. [35:22] Despite the controversy, Evatt came in first in Tuesday's primary and continues to rack in millions of dollars more than any other candidate. [35:31] She's laser-focused on winning her first election at the top of the ticket. [35:35] I have signed paychecks, I have balanced budgets, I've created good-paying jobs, and I did it all while raising three wonderful children with my husband, David. [35:47] It's been fantastic. [35:59] All right, another live look there into the debate stage there at Coastal Carolina University, a crowd getting ready. [36:05] We are about seven minutes away from that debate getting started. [36:09] Of course, we'll stream the whole thing right here, and we'll have some clips for you after the debate as well. [36:15] Let's go ahead, though, take a look at how money is influencing the race right now. [36:20] It's not everything, but certainly having money helps you win elections. [36:24] And you can see on your screen there, Pamela Evatt has continued to be the strongest fundraiser from the field of candidates this election so far, [36:34] raising $3.5 million to Alan Wilson's 3.2. [36:39] So it is close, but throughout the race, Evatt has always been on top in terms of the money game, and she continues to do so at this time. [36:47] One thing we don't know, though, is that all of these numbers came from right before the primary election, I think 10 days before the primary election. [36:55] So we don't have any new numbers for how much money they have remaining. [37:01] At the time, it was about $500,000 for each of them, but I suspect more money has flowed into their campaign coffers since that primary wrapped up on Tuesday. [37:13] So who spent the most? Well, that's going to be Evatt again at $3.9 million. [37:17] Wilson being kind of frugal here with $2.6 million. [37:21] Both of them very much shy of the two largest spenders, which were Rom Reddy and Ralph Norman. [37:28] Each spent more than $5,000, I believe. [37:31] Certainly Rom Reddy spent more than $5.5 million in just like two months, something like that, 10 weeks of his campaign. [37:41] And it did not pan out for him. [37:43] He came in fourth in that election cycle there and then didn't do any endorsing, which is totally okay. [37:51] So now we know how much each campaign has spent. [37:55] Before we get to the debate, though, I want to remind you about early voting, which is going to be taking place here in the next day or two. [38:04] You got Wednesday and Thursday of this week to cast a vote early. [38:08] If you voted in last week's primary, you should know that you are allowed to only vote in the primary that you voted in last week. [38:18] So if you voted in the Republican primary for the runoff, you are not allowed to vote in the Democratic primary and vice versa. [38:24] If you voted in the Democratic primary last week, you cannot vote in the Republican primary this week. [38:31] If you didn't vote at all, you are welcome to vote in either party's runoff primary. [38:37] You still have to bring a valid ID. [38:39] And as long as you are in line on Tuesday before 7 p.m., you will get to vote if there's a line. [38:46] Polls will be open from 7 to 7. [38:49] Of course, the governor's race is not the only race that is going to a runoff. [38:54] We have a number of other races here that will be going to a runoff there on your screen. [39:01] This is for the commissioner of agriculture. [39:03] You've got Cody Simpson, Danny Ford. [39:05] That's Danny Ford on your screen. [39:07] Cody Simpson here is coming up in just a second. [39:09] Interesting to note about Cody Simpson is that he only beat Ford by about a point. [39:17] And Simpson is one of the very few politicians in South Carolina that actually got the endorsement from President Donald Trump. [39:24] Simpson worked for, was appointed by Trump to sit on a commission for him for the USDA here in South Carolina. [39:32] And he has been touting that endorsement. [39:34] That one is going to a runoff. [39:36] Also, the attorney general's race, this is a big one going to a runoff. [39:39] You've got David Stumbo and Stephen Goldfinch. [39:42] They are the top two vote-getters outpacing David Pascoe, who was a Democrat, ran as a Republican, changed parties last year, and did not make the runoff. [39:54] We've got two more here we want to tell you about. [39:56] Of course, that first congressional district race for the Republican side, Mark Smith and Jenny Costa Honeycutt. [40:03] Smith is currently a state rep, and Jenny Costa Honeycutt is a county council member in Charleston County. [40:09] They are headed to a runoff right now. [40:11] I believe Honeycutt won that election by a fair amount, actually, over Smith. [40:17] We're going to have them in studio here, Live 5, tomorrow at 7 o'clock for a runoff debate. [40:22] You can tune in, again, right here or on our streaming service as well for that. [40:27] Democrats are also headed to a runoff in SC01. [40:31] Nancy LaCour, the retired vice admiral of the Navy Reserves there, versus Mac DeFord. [40:37] They are headed to that runoff. [40:39] We did invite them both to do a debate. [40:42] Mac DeFord agreed. [40:44] Nancy LaCour did not. [40:46] She told us that she doesn't want to give Mac a platform to spread, quote, his lies about her. [40:53] So they are not going to be doing the runoff debate here at Live 5. [40:59] Or she also rejected a debate request from the other stations as well. [41:06] So those are the runoff elections that we're going to be following. [41:09] There are a couple of others as well. [41:10] But here in the Lowcountry, those are the ones that are going to be the big deal that we're going to be watching. [41:16] Okay, we are just about a minute, two minutes here from that debate taking place there at Coastal Carolina University. [41:27] There it is. [41:28] There I am. [41:29] We're both in boxes getting ready for that debate. [41:32] Again, Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evitt, Attorney General Alan Wilson. [41:35] They are getting ready. [41:38] You can actually hear them. [41:39] They're doing the countdown right now. [41:41] It is live television that they're going to be doing here. [41:44] We'll take you there now. [41:45] The next thing you should see is a graphic of the open for the show. [41:51] And there it is. [41:51] There's your 15-second count. [41:53] All right. [41:53] That's going to be it for me for our pre-show. [41:56] Enjoy the debate. [41:56] We'll see you right back here after for some of the highlights. [41:58] This is a special gray media broadcast of the 2026 South Carolina GOP gubernatorial debates. [42:10] The future of South Carolina coming down to this. [42:15] Hello and welcome to Conway and Coastal Carolina University. [42:19] Tonight, a field of five Republicans down to just two. [42:23] Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evitt and Attorney General Alan Wilson. [42:26] The two going head to head in a runoff race, hoping to be the state's next governor. [42:31] Good evening and welcome to Conway. [42:33] I'm Justin Dordy, Evening Anchor for Fox Carolina News in the upstate. [42:36] And this primary race has already been historic. [42:39] And tonight, history continues to be written. [42:42] As mentioned, the current Lieutenant Governor and current Attorney General are now vying for your vote on June 23rd to be the Republican nominee for Governor. [42:50] Candidates, congratulations and thank you both for being here. [42:54] Also joining us tonight are panelists from across the state. [42:58] Eric Weisfeld, Evening Anchor for WMBF in Myrtle Beach. [43:01] Dr. Oren Smith with the Palmetto Promise Institute. [43:05] Judy Gadsden, Evening Anchor for WIS in Columbia. [43:08] And Raphael James, Evening Anchor for WCSC in Charleston. [43:13] Candidates, you've been given the rules prior to this debate. [43:16] Your answers and responses will be timed. [43:18] And now, let's get underway. [43:20] You each have 90 seconds for your opening statements. [43:23] And based on primary finishes, Attorney General, you're first. [43:26] You have 90 seconds. [43:29] Good evening. [43:30] I'm Alan Wilson. [43:31] And I want to thank all of you for being here tonight. [43:34] This has been the greatest honor of my life, serving as your Attorney General. [43:37] I want to let you know that the issues that concern you voters of South Carolina are the same issues that concern me. [43:44] Issues like affordability for your families, like quality of education for your children, like protecting our conservative values. [43:52] While my opponent was cutting ribbons in a ceremonial job and wasting time in the Lieutenant Governor's office, I was out there fighting for you. [44:01] Fighting as a combat veteran, as a prosecutor, and as your Attorney General. [44:04] In fact, I'm the only person in this race who actually had the courage to risk their career fighting for President Trump in a court of law. [44:15] So, if you supported Nancy Mace because she was a maverick who shook up institutions, come join me in this fight. [44:22] If you supported Ralph Norman because he was a conservative juggernaut who challenged the establishment, come join me in this fight. [44:28] If you supported Ron Reddy because he was a plain spoken outsider businessman with a message of reforming our government, come join me in this fight. [44:40] You are all welcome here. [44:42] We can do this together. [44:43] Folks, in this election, you don't want more of the same. [44:46] You don't want someone who's going to cut backroom deals to try to get the next job. [44:50] You want someone who will fight for your family. [44:51] You don't want someone who will run ridiculous lies and commercials to try to manipulate you. [44:56] You want someone who will tell you the truth, and I will be that person. [45:00] Thank you so much. [45:10] Attorney General, thank you. [45:13] Attorney General, thank you. [45:14] Lieutenant Governor, your opening statement, you have 90 seconds. [45:17] Well, thank you. [45:18] Thank you all for being here. [45:20] Thank you all for joining us, and thank you to the audience for coming here today. [45:23] My family, friends, and supporters. [45:26] And you, Horry County, you came out strong last Tuesday for me, and I will never forget it. [45:30] There's two of us on stage now, and the choice will be really clear. [45:39] You can pick a Trump-endorsed businesswoman, or you can pick a career politician. [45:44] As your next governor, I will make sure I will finish what Governor McMaster and I started. [45:50] We will eliminate your state income tax. [45:52] We will make sure that you are never taxed out of your home. [45:55] We'll get rid of useless regulations. [45:58] We'll have true judicial reform. [46:00] We'll finally get school choice across the finish line. [46:04] But something I'm really passionate about is protecting your conservative voices in every institution across our state. [46:13] If your tax dollars go to one institution that tries to stop conservative speech, I will be the warrior you are looking for. [46:22] I will make sure not one dime of your money will go to them. [46:27] I will make sure we take it away. [46:29] Now, if you were a supporter of any of the candidates, even the one on stage, I welcome you to come to Team Abbott, where we will get something done. [46:39] We'll take a business-minded approach to government. [46:42] Thank you all so much for joining, and don't forget, early voting starts tomorrow. [46:45] Candidates, thank you. [46:58] Candidates, thank you. [47:01] Since there are only two of you now in this race, we are able to ask one question before we go to break. [47:06] And you both mentioned your endorsements in your opening statements. [47:09] So let's begin there. [47:10] You both wanted President Trump's endorsement in this race. [47:13] Well, Lieutenant Governor, you got it. [47:15] President Trump has given you his, quote, complete and total endorsement, as well as government master. [47:19] But, Attorney General, you have received many other endorsements, including your former opponents, Congressman Ralph Norman, Congresswoman Nancy Mace, and what you say is some 80-plus percent of South Carolina sheriffs, including the sheriff and the lieutenant governor's home county of Greenville County. [47:34] So question to you both, and, Attorney General, you begin. [47:37] Why should your respective endorsements matter more to voters as they go back to the ballot box one week from today? [47:43] You have 60 seconds. [47:44] Thank you. [47:45] Well, first off, to receive the endorsement of over 80 percent of the sheriffs in the state of South Carolina because of my 15 years of putting families first and protecting families means a lot to me. [47:53] I've overseen the prosecution of thousands of child predators, violent criminals, drug dealers, even corrupt officials. [48:00] And it's because of that trust that the sheriffs and other law enforcement officials around the state have rallied behind me because they trust me to protect you. [48:07] I also want to say to the people who ran for governor in the primary who are not on the stage tonight, to be able to build a coalition with them shows something that a governor must do. [48:15] Build coalitions and alliances with people who were your former opponents. [48:19] And I was able to do that. [48:20] And I want to thank Ralph Norman, Nancy Mace, and Josh Kimbrell for their endorsement. [48:24] But the most important endorsement that is more important to me than anything, it's the endorsement of you, the voter. [48:31] Next Tuesday or this week, if you go to early voting, you're going to walk into the booth. [48:36] And the most important endorsement I want is the endorsement you would give me by voting for me to be your next governor. [48:41] And I would be honored to have your endorsement. [48:43] Thank you. [48:43] And God bless you. [48:46] Attorney General, thank you. [48:47] Attorney General, thank you. [48:53] Lieutenant Governor, same question. [48:55] You have 60 seconds. [48:57] Yeah, so it's an honor to get every endorsement. [48:59] It was an honor to get the endorsement of so many voters that put me in first place last Tuesday. [49:04] But I'll tell you, it was a really special moment when the President of the United States, one of the most influential presidents of my time, called me and said, Pamela, I'm going to give you my full and total endorsement. [49:19] And I know all the players in this race, and you're the only one that can bring the American First Agenda into South Carolina, battling for our businesses, our workers, and our farmers. [49:30] And then when Governor McMaster said to me, if you love the state of South Carolina, then you need to elect Pamela Evitt as your next governor. [49:41] Those are two endorsements that are very near and dear to my heart, along with the countless others from the General Assembly that I've worked with, hand in glove, for the last eight years. [49:51] But your endorsement is what I need starting tomorrow. [49:54] Early voting starts, and I need you all there, Horry County, and the rest of South Carolina. [49:59] So, Governor, thank you. [50:01] Candidates, thank you both. [50:08] When we come back, we'll begin with our questions from our panelists, focusing on some of the biggest issues facing the state right now. [50:14] We'll be right back. [50:16] Welcome back to Gray Media's presentation of the Republican runoff debate for governor. [52:34] There are now just two candidates left in this race. [52:37] And now tonight, we turn to our panelists to ask about some of the biggest issues facing the state right now. [52:43] And tonight, we begin with Eric Weisfeld. [52:45] Eric. [52:46] Candidates, good evening to you. [52:47] Welcome to Horry County. [52:48] We're going to begin now with, it has been said that the state's declining road quality is not only due to a lack of funding, [52:55] but also the structure and the management of the Department of Transportation. [52:59] Well, now that the DOT secretary is directly under the governor, [53:03] what ways do you plan to create more accountability for DOT and also increase funding, but we're talking without raising taxes? [53:11] Eric, thank you. [53:11] Lieutenant Governor, you begin, you have 60 seconds. [53:14] Eric, thank you, that's a great question. [53:15] And one, as I travel all over the state, everybody is talking about. [53:18] Now, with DOT falling under the guide of the governor, what we need to do is something I've been talking about forever, regulations. [53:27] And President Trump's one big, beautiful bill, he is trying to streamline, get rid of useless regulations so we get these projects done quick. [53:35] Only a business person can understand that time is money. [53:38] And when you delay getting these projects done, it ends up costing more and you end up getting less work done. [53:45] So when I'm your next governor, I'll make sure we get rid of useless regulations, work with the federal government to get rid of their permitting requests, and move these jobs forward much more quickly. [53:57] Time is money. [53:58] And when you add to your time, you don't need as much money. [54:01] Lieutenant Governor, thank you. [54:05] Attorney General, same question, 60 seconds. [54:08] Well, first off, I want to commend the General Assembly for making a few major, you know, obviously putting the Secretary of the Department of Transportation in the governor's camp. [54:15] That was a great thing to do, but there's so much more that needs to be done. [54:18] The first thing we have to do is, through our Families First Audit initiative, which my lieutenant governor will do, Mike Rickenbaugh, will help us oversee, it's a top-down dozing of all state agencies in South Carolina. [54:28] There's lots of fraud, waste, and abuse, there's even corruption. [54:31] In fact, two months ago, we indicted several DOT employees for fraud and corruption within the Department of Transportation. [54:37] The problem is, is you can't indict incompetence or bad policies or bad regulations. [54:42] So that Families First Audit initiative is basically going to do a top-down audit of the Department of Transportation to identify where the money's going, why it's taking so long to get there. [54:51] Because at the end of the day, when that money's not getting to where it goes, it's hurting you. [54:55] You're sitting in traffic, and I know you're sick of it, but what we're going to do is, is we're going to do a complete overhaul of the Department of Transportation. [55:01] We're going to use innovative technologies like AI and other things to streamline government, make it more efficient, [55:06] and try to get that money on the road so that you don't have to sit in a parking lot on your way home from work. [55:10] Attorney General, thank you. [55:11] And now tonight, for our third question of the evening, we turn to Dr. Oren Smith. [55:21] Dr. Smith. [55:22] Now to your position on tort reform, which are changes to the civil liability system that can affect who can sue, [55:32] what damages may be awarded, and how liability is assigned. [55:37] With an effort already underway in the General Assembly, would you support totally eliminating joint and several liability in South Carolina [55:47] so that no one is left to pay more than his or her share of fault in a civil liability action? [55:54] Dr. Smith, thank you. [55:55] Attorney General Allen Wilson, you begin. [55:57] You have 60 seconds. [55:58] First off, I've talked to people on this issue all over the state of South Carolina. [56:01] I've talked to attorneys. [56:02] I've talked to large and small businesses. [56:03] I've talked to associations, industries. [56:05] And the one thing that everyone agrees on, that if you are harmed by the negligent act of another, [56:11] then you should be able to be made whole based on a clearly defined set of laws and regulations that allow you to make the money that you lost. [56:18] However, in our system of tort laws here in South Carolina, there are some out there who are engaging in frivolous lawsuits. [56:26] These are lawsuits where they do not go after the person who is at fault for harming you. [56:30] They are incentivized to go after the person with the deepest pockets. [56:34] Whether it's people bringing construction defect lawsuits, which drive up the cost of housing for you, [56:40] or maybe bringing lawsuits for DUIs against bars that sold a beer at noon when someone drove 20 other places, [56:47] was drinking for 10 hours after that. [56:49] It's driving up the cost of doing business. [56:51] It's driving up the cost of owning a home. [56:53] And we need to have tort laws that keep the cost of living down for you people living at home. [56:58] We need to make life more affordable by reforming that system. [57:01] Attorney General, thank you. [57:02] Lieutenant Governor, same question. [57:08] You have 60 seconds. [57:09] Well, thank you. [57:10] And that's a great question. [57:11] You know, it was a really proud day when all the businesses in South Carolina showed up at the Capitol. [57:16] The Governor and I stood between both chambers and said, go do your work. [57:19] You can keep South Carolinians safe without destroying small business. [57:24] But is there more left to do? [57:26] Absolutely. [57:27] And I've sat down with small businesses and associations and ones that have been hit really hard. [57:31] Greg Parker talks about his story when it comes to joint and several liability. [57:35] What we need to do is we need to do better. [57:37] But there's other things we can be doing as government. [57:39] As a business owner myself and sitting down with the National Insurance Association, I asked them, what if we got really impactful about stopping insurance fraud? [57:51] Insurance fraud makes up 20% of your premiums. [57:54] It's something nobody's talking to. [57:56] But as a business owner myself, I know what a big impact that has. [58:00] So when I'm the next Governor of South Carolina, I'll make a task force. [58:03] South Carolina will be known as the state you do not want to commit insurance fraud in. [58:08] Thank you. [58:10] Candidates, thank you for our fourth question of the night. [58:18] We now turn to Judy Gadsden. [58:19] Judy. [58:20] Good evening, candidates. [58:21] A proposed casino development in the Santee area has sparked significant debate over economic development, local control, and, of course, community impact. [58:29] What is your position on that project? [58:32] In addition, if you support it, what criteria would you use to determine whether a casino or a similar large-scale gaming development is appropriate for South Carolina communities? [58:44] Judy, thank you. [58:45] Lieutenant Governor, you begin. [58:46] You have 60 seconds. [58:47] Well, that's a great question. [58:48] It's something I've been talking about since I threw my hat in the ring for Governor. [58:52] I think as the CEO of this state, you have to look at everything that comes across your desk. [58:57] And if it has a good impact, then you've got to take it to the people when it comes to casinos. [59:02] Because I've been to all 46 counties many times. [59:05] And I've heard from you, the people of South Carolina. [59:09] If a development came to South Carolina that was five stars similar to the green bar, we should look at it and see what economic impact it plays in that area. [59:17] But before we make any decisions, it should be put on the ballot and the people of South Carolina should be voting on it. [59:23] Because nobody should have to live with industry in their backyard that they don't want. [59:28] Thank you. [59:33] Attorney General, you have 60 seconds. [59:36] Thank you. [59:37] Well, this is the second time I've been asked this question. [59:39] I was asked in the first debate, a debate Lieutenant Governor wasn't able to make it to. [59:43] But I answered the question then. [59:46] And I also answered this with the Palmetto family pledge that I made last week. [59:55] Look, here's the thing. [59:56] I've got friends on both sides of this issue. [59:58] But I feel like as the Governor, you have to be honest with people. [1:00:01] You have to tell people what you feel and not hide behind, I'm going to give it to the people. [1:00:05] Tell them what you think. [1:00:06] Be honest. [1:00:07] I tell folks all the time, I'd rather have your respect and your trust than your vote or your support. [1:00:11] I'm sure that there are people out here who used to support me who are very pro-casino, who are going to be doubling down and funneling lots of money to negative commercials against me this week, lying about me through the Lieutenant Governor's campaign. [1:00:23] That's fine. [1:00:24] That's politics. [1:00:25] But at the end of the day, I made it abundantly clear that I have serious concerns about casinos in South Carolina because I'm talking to law enforcement and faith leaders in other states, and they have voiced concerns that they wish they could go back and roll back the clock on having them in their state. [1:00:38] Attorney General, thank you. [1:00:46] Lieutenant Governor, you were mentioned. [1:00:48] You now have time for rebuttal. [1:00:49] You have 30 seconds for response. [1:00:50] Well, all I can say is this is the rantings of a true career politician. [1:00:55] When somebody is talking facts about your record, if you want to talk, the Attorney General took a 126% pay increase during the last eight years, the same pay increase the Governor and I turned down. [1:01:08] On the other hand, that's facts. [1:01:12] Mudslinging comes when the Attorney General and his PACs and people put me on a television screen with drag queens. [1:01:19] I have never met a drag queen, I have never met AOC, and for the record, I have never taken a lie detector test. [1:01:26] That's mudslinging. [1:01:28] Attorney Governor, thank you. [1:01:32] Attorney General, you were mentioned, you have 30 seconds. [1:01:36] Pam, you may not have taken a lie detector test, but you certainly lie a lot. [1:01:42] The 126%, the 126% pay increase you're talking about, that was the law that Governor McMaster passed. [1:01:51] Ladies and gentlemen, she's lying to you to manipulate you because this was a law that the Governor signed in that was given to the State Commission that determined salaries. [1:02:01] They're booing me, not giving me a chance to talk to you, the people of South Carolina. [1:02:05] By the end of the day, this is a misrepresentation. [1:02:08] Lieutenant Governor, you were mentioned again. [1:02:14] You get another 30 seconds. [1:02:16] So, I think the key that you missed there, Attorney General, is that you got it, we could have taken it, we turned it down. [1:02:25] Because it's not right to take a pay increase when you're in office. [1:02:29] I knew my salary when I ran for this position, and you knew yours. [1:02:34] Now, you did not need to take it. [1:02:36] It wasn't right. [1:02:37] You talk about cutting taxes. [1:02:39] You talk about getting rid of waste. [1:02:41] How can you sit there and look at the people of South Carolina who are fighting to put food on their table when you took a 126% pay increase off of their tax dollars? [1:02:54] Attorney Governor, thank you. [1:02:55] Attorney General, you get another 30 seconds. [1:02:59] Ladies and gentlemen at home, I became a career prosecutor because I wanted to be in public service. [1:03:05] I have a wife and children on the front row, and I decided that I wanted to go into public service. [1:03:09] I did not make millions of dollars selling DE products to businesses in South Carolina. [1:03:16] The fact of the matter is that I did not give myself a pay increase. [1:03:21] That was done by statute that the governor signed that was determined by the agency head salary commission. [1:03:26] By the way, the governor and lieutenant governor weren't even put in that bill, so they couldn't turn it down. [1:03:30] That is a misrepresentation to you. [1:03:32] She's manipulating you folks. [1:03:34] Attorney General, thank you. [1:03:36] Lieutenant Governor, we're going to get the final word. [1:03:42] We're going to give you 15 seconds here for the final word, and then we have to move on. [1:03:45] Lieutenant Governor, 15 seconds. [1:03:46] You know, when I first got into public service, I never could understand what people meant when they said, [1:03:52] if Allen Wilson's lips are moving, he's lying. [1:03:55] He knows full well that I did not profit from DEI. [1:04:02] Thank you. [1:04:03] We have to move on. [1:04:04] You'll get the first answer. [1:04:06] We're going to keep moving on. [1:04:07] Our fifth question here tonight comes from Rafael James. [1:04:10] Good evening. [1:04:11] Now that everyone's a little warmed up, there are voters in South Carolina who take issue with the way judges are selected in our state. [1:04:22] Should the governor, in your opinion, have more power than lawmakers in selecting judges? [1:04:28] And would you say no to any plan that lets legislators keep most of that power? [1:04:35] Rafael, thank you. [1:04:36] Attorney General, you have 60 seconds to answer. [1:04:38] Look, I've been advocating for judicial reform for at least 15 years that I've been Attorney General. [1:04:43] In fact, I've always advocated for the governor to have equal power to the legislature, not more power. [1:04:48] You want the three branches of government in equal tension with each other. [1:04:52] Right now, the legislature has an outsized portion of power when it comes to the selection of judicial candidates, and then the election of those judicial candidates. [1:04:59] I believe that the governor should control the vetting and the nominating of candidates, and the legislature should have up or down votes. [1:05:06] Judges make such important decisions that affect your lives, whether they let violent criminals out, [1:05:11] whether they hurt small businesses or any business when they make rulings in civil court that could hurt them. [1:05:17] So I believe it's important for the governor to have the ability to control or at least nominate all the commission members and control the staff who do the vetting of judicial candidates. [1:05:26] Let the legislature have the up or down vote, but at the end of the day, it's about bringing a balance to power of government, [1:05:32] so that people have an advocate in the governor and who sits on the bench. [1:05:35] Attorney General, thank you. [1:05:37] Lieutenant Governor, same question. [1:05:42] You have 60 seconds. [1:05:43] Well, thank you. [1:05:44] This is something that the governor I've been talking about for years, changing the way our judges are elected. [1:05:48] Making sure the governor can appoint and the General Assembly can confirm. [1:05:53] Now, I think that's an amazing system unless Alan Wilson was the governor, because when James Smith was brought up to be nominated for the bench, [1:06:04] Alan Wilson called legislators personally to advocate for him being a judge. [1:06:10] James Smith was the Democrat candidate against Governor McMaster and I the very first time we ran for office. [1:06:16] James Smith was endorsed by Planned Parenthood. [1:06:20] James Smith was out there saying that he would be the LGBTQ governor. [1:06:25] Now, that would scare me if Alan Wilson thinks that that's okay and would actually call the General Assembly personally to advocate. [1:06:34] Who would he put on the bench? [1:06:36] Attorney General, thank you. [1:06:38] Attorney General, you were mentioned, you have 30 seconds for response. [1:06:46] There she goes again. [1:06:47] Folks at home, I've spent my entire career in front of judges. [1:06:53] I've spent my entire career working and fighting for victims. [1:06:56] There's a reason 80% of the sheriffs in South Carolina have endorsed me in the race for governor. [1:07:01] There's a reason that victims advocates around the state are behind me because of what I've done. [1:07:05] What she is talking about is I called James Smith to ask him if he would uphold the rulings that overturned Roe v Wade and then pass that on to legislators. [1:07:12] I wasn't advocating for anybody. [1:07:14] That is a lie. [1:07:15] She is lying to you because she wants to manipulate you because she wants your vote. [1:07:19] That's what this is about. [1:07:20] It's a lie. [1:07:21] Attorney General, thank you. [1:07:22] Attorney Governor, you have another 30 seconds. [1:07:26] You were mentioned as well. [1:07:27] You have 30 seconds. [1:07:28] Well, this is real easy. [1:07:32] You do not have to listen to me. [1:07:35] Listen to the General Assembly members, the men and women in the House who did a press conference this week, talking about the fact that Alan Wilson called them personally. [1:07:46] Michelle Arimus was so offended that a Republican Attorney General would advocate for a Democrat that she came out on her own. [1:07:57] You don't have to believe me. [1:07:59] Believe the people he called. [1:08:01] Attorney Governor, thank you. [1:08:02] Attorney General, you're going to get the final word. [1:08:05] You've got 15 seconds and we have to move on. [1:08:08] So yes, legislators that endorsed her had a press conference to support her. [1:08:12] Y'all, shocker. [1:08:14] No. [1:08:15] Listen, I sat down with Ralph Norman, Nancy Mason, Josh Kimbrel. [1:08:19] They all understood. [1:08:20] They actually were originally critical of me. [1:08:22] But when I explained it to them, they understood that what she is saying is categorically false. [1:08:26] It's not accurate. [1:08:27] I have been a conservative pro-life attorney fighting for life, fighting for conservative values in front of the courts, all the way to the Supreme Court and back. [1:08:35] Attorney General, thank you very much. [1:08:36] I agree that as Governor, thank you. [1:08:37] Thank you. [1:08:40] We turn now, you'll get the next question. [1:08:43] We turn now to our sixth question, Eric Weisfeld. [1:08:45] Eric. [1:08:46] All right candidates, it is time to talk crime. [1:08:48] Violent crime here in South Carolina has risen in several fast growing areas like right here in the Myrtle Beach area. [1:08:55] What specific statewide strategies would you implement in your first year to reduce violent crime without overburdening local police departments? [1:09:05] Eric, thank you Lieutenant Governor. [1:09:06] You begin, you have 60 seconds. [1:09:08] Thank you. [1:09:09] And that's a great question because I spent a lot of my time here and I know how important this issue is to everybody. [1:09:14] And I've sat with businesses that are coming here from all over the globe that looks to South Carolina because of the amazing work that our men and women do in law enforcement. [1:09:24] But they need help. [1:09:25] And we have great state law enforcement agencies. [1:09:28] I think we can utilize their resources to help at the local level, especially in areas that can't attract enough. [1:09:34] And, you know, I was so proud that Governor McMaster and I gave the largest pay increases to law enforcement in our state's history. [1:09:42] I have always said that if somebody wants to be in law enforcement anywhere in this country, I want them to be right here in South Carolina. [1:09:52] We need to make sure we take care of our men and women in blue. [1:09:55] We need to make sure that we have prosecutors that don't plea down deals so we don't have career criminals back on the street. [1:10:01] And we need those conservative judges that will throw the maximum sentence at them so that we don't live in a state where the revolving door of crime keeps happening. [1:10:10] Attorney Governor, thank you. [1:10:14] Attorney General, you have 60 seconds. [1:10:16] Same question. [1:10:17] For 15 years, I have worked hand in glove with law enforcement all over the state of South Carolina. [1:10:22] And because of that work, we have been able to get South Carolina down to the lowest violent crime rates in the last 30 years. [1:10:29] But those statistics are of little comfort to the families of people like Logan Federico, [1:10:36] a beautiful 22-year-old woman who was violently murdered by a man who should have never been released from prison. [1:10:43] And one of the things I made a commitment to, as I spoke to her father this past year, I see him sitting out here in the audience. [1:10:49] I made a commitment to him that I would do everything, I would make it a priority as governor, [1:10:53] to close the gaps and the loopholes in the system that let a violent criminal out who should have never been out of prison. [1:11:00] And I told Steve Federico, Steve, I will never let South Carolina forget Logan's name. [1:11:04] I will never forget Logan's name. [1:11:06] And we will work with the feds and we will work with the state legislature to ensure that Logan's name is remembered in legislation when we close those gaps. [1:11:13] We're going to do that and we're also going to put conservative judges who will put people behind prison forever and never let them out on bond. [1:11:19] Attorney General, thank you. [1:11:21] We now turn back to Dr. Oren Smith. [1:11:29] Dr. Smith for our seventh question of the night. [1:11:32] Dr. Smith. [1:11:33] Yes. [1:11:34] Earlier this year, each of you signed a pledge promising to work for universal school choice. [1:11:41] which was defined as all education dollars following the child to whatever public or private education provider the parent chose. [1:11:52] Do you still embrace the Palmetto Promise Institute pledge? [1:11:56] And if so, how would you get a bold universal school choice reform bill through the General Assembly? [1:12:05] Dr. Smith, thank you. [1:12:06] Attorney General, you have 60 seconds. [1:12:08] Well, first off, I want to start by saying my children are the byproducts of public education and I will always support public education. [1:12:15] But when it comes to school choice, I do support it and here's why. [1:12:18] Growing up in the 1980s and 90s, my three brothers and I were all going into public school. [1:12:23] This public school wasn't meeting my educational needs. [1:12:26] My brothers flourished in it. [1:12:27] My parents had to sacrifice to send me to a small Christian school that they really could not afford. [1:12:32] I made it my commitment to always fight to give parents the options so they could give their the children the opportunities that we never had when I was coming up. [1:12:40] Thank God I had parents that could do that. [1:12:42] But there are people out there who have children with individualized needs that need that special attention. [1:12:48] They do not have the choice to send their children to either home school or parochial school or charter school or some type of other education. [1:12:54] But if the educational needs of children growing up in the same house raised by the same parents can be that unique and different, then why are we going to do a one size fits all policy for kids across the state of South Carolina? [1:13:05] Lieutenant General, thank you. [1:13:08] Lieutenant Governor, 60 seconds. [1:13:12] So as a mom of three, I can tell you all my kids learn very differently and I can remember how hard it was when I was starting my business to send my kids to parochial school. [1:13:22] Because I wanted them to teach, be taught the values at school that we were teaching at home. [1:13:27] I don't ever want a parent to have to struggle like that and I never want a zip code to define a child's educational success. [1:13:33] And that's why since I've been Lieutenant Governor, I've been in this battle for school choice. [1:13:37] When I'm Governor of this state, I promise you that I will work with the General Assembly and I will work with all of you. [1:13:44] Because your voice rings in the ears of the General Assembly to make sure first and foremost we get a full universal school choice vouchering system across the finish line. [1:13:55] Parents need to be more involved in their children's education, not less. [1:13:59] And statistics show that when parents are involved, children thrive. [1:14:03] In states that have already done this, you can see the educational successes of their children skyrocket. [1:14:10] South Carolina deserves full universal school choice. [1:14:14] Candidates, thank you. [1:14:22] We turn now to Judy Gadsden for our eighth question of the night. [1:14:24] Judy. [1:14:25] Candidates, I have a question about South Carolina State University. [1:14:28] Several Republicans have signed a letter and sent it to the Budget Conference Committee urging them to block $5 million in funding for SE State University. [1:14:37] My question tonight is, do you support that request, yes or no, and explain your position? [1:14:43] Judy, thank you. [1:14:44] Lieutenant Governor, you begin. [1:14:45] You have 60 seconds. [1:14:46] Yes. [1:14:47] I do support that choice. [1:14:49] And I'm going to tell you why. [1:14:51] Because for far too long, conservative voices have been silenced on our college campuses and our schools. [1:14:58] And that can't continue. [1:14:59] As a mom that had three children, one that is in college currently, the indoctrination that happens on our college campuses is terrible. [1:15:08] And so when SE State rescinded my invitation to be their commencement speaker, my feelings weren't hurt that the students may not have wanted me. [1:15:17] My feelings, it was more of a sense of bewilderment at their reasoning. [1:15:21] They didn't want me because I was pro-life and pro-Trump and anti-DEI and pro-law enforcement. [1:15:28] And where was the faculty, where was the leadership there to say President Trump has been the biggest supporter of our historically black colleges and universities? [1:15:38] And this South Carolina governor, Lieutenant Governor General Assembly, has done all they can to make sure funding is balanced. [1:15:47] If our conservative tax dollars aren't welcome on college campuses, then neither is our money. [1:15:54] We will take it away if they try to stop conservative speech. [1:15:59] Thank you. [1:16:00] Thank you. [1:16:04] Attorney General, same question. [1:16:05] You have 60 seconds. [1:16:06] So, first off, there's two separate issues here. [1:16:09] Obviously, tax dollars going to institutions of higher learning that suppress conservative speech through the institutions, through the faculty, through the administration. [1:16:17] Absolutely, I would be for not giving them tax dollars. [1:16:20] But I would never support taking tax dollars because a bunch of kids who didn't like me or didn't like my politics protested on a campus. [1:16:27] If we're going to be conservative, if we're going to be conservative to protect conservative speech, then we should be conservative in protecting all speech, [1:16:34] even speech that which we don't agree with. [1:16:36] Lieutenant Governor, I mean, I was obviously and honestly disappointed. [1:16:40] Not, you know, I was really disappointed that you were getting down in the mud mixing up with college kids. [1:16:45] A governor has to rise above it. [1:16:47] A governor has to be the governor for all people. [1:16:49] Yes, we can oppose suppressing conservative speech on campuses, but stripping kids of money because they don't like you or disinvited you? [1:16:57] That's not what a governor's supposed to do. [1:16:59] We can do better than that. [1:17:00] And as governor, I will be a governor for all people, and we will protect conservative speech, but we will also protect speech we don't agree with. [1:17:07] Attorney General, thank you. [1:17:08] Lieutenant Governor, you were mentioning. [1:17:09] You have 30 seconds. [1:17:12] Well, obviously, the Attorney General missed the whole point. [1:17:16] Free speech is speech for all, but the only speech that's being stopped on college campuses is conservative speech. [1:17:22] And I really think what the Attorney General was upset with is probably the hundreds of thousands of dollars he spent trying to lie to the voters that I was somehow a DEI queen was squelched in 30 seconds with those students at SC State. [1:17:39] Attorney General, you have 30 seconds. [1:17:44] There she's going. [1:17:46] She's lying again, folks. [1:17:47] It's just more of the same. [1:17:49] I mean, first off, Pam, Pam, we have the receipts, and we can put it out on the Internet. [1:17:53] It's there. [1:17:54] Your company did sell DEI products before you became Lieutenant Governor. [1:17:57] It's something you did. [1:17:58] And, Pam, you keep misrepresenting the truth. [1:18:00] You've lied time and time again. [1:18:01] You actually sent out a flyer to thousands, tens, hundreds of thousands of people saying that you signed constitutional carry into law to protect the Second Amendment. [1:18:10] Did you sign a bill into law, Lieutenant Governor of it? [1:18:13] I mean, please answer that for the people. [1:18:14] I'll give you the next couple seconds. [1:18:16] Go. [1:18:17] Oh, my goodness. [1:18:18] Lieutenant Governor, you have 30 seconds for your response. [1:18:21] Yes. [1:18:22] Well, I owned a payroll HR company, so while I was trying to keep my clients from getting fined from horrible regulations that were coming out of D.C., that's what I did. [1:18:33] So as I was out there protecting small and medium-sized businesses and running my own, if the Attorney General was really so upset with DEI, he should have been trying to fight it from his office and not letting impact them. [1:18:45] It's the small businesses here in South Carolina. [1:18:47] So we're doing 30 seconds. [1:18:52] Well. [1:18:54] We're going to reset the time. [1:18:57] We'll reset the time. [1:18:58] You have 30 seconds starting now. [1:18:59] Thank you so much. [1:19:00] First off, Pam, look, I understand you're trying to run from your record from your time as CEO of your company. [1:19:10] You did sell DEI products. [1:19:11] You have lied about your record. [1:19:13] You have lied about, you never answered the question. [1:19:16] Did you sign a bill in the law? [1:19:17] You also said that you personally, you single-handedly kept sanctuary cities out of South Carolina and you personally kept men out of women's sports. [1:19:26] I'm the one in the lawsuit right now protecting that. [1:19:29] Again, are you going to answer the question? [1:19:31] Did you sign a bill in the law and did you personally keep sanctuary cities out of South Carolina? [1:19:34] Lieutenant Governor, we're going to reset the time. [1:19:37] You have 15 seconds. [1:19:38] Final word. [1:19:39] We need to move on. [1:19:40] You have 15 seconds. [1:19:41] First of all, I said it was the people of Charleston that kicked out a sanctuary city sheriff. [1:19:45] That's what I said. [1:19:46] That's not what she said. [1:19:47] It's lying. [1:19:48] The Governor and I together are a team. [1:19:51] I understand you don't get that, but we are. [1:19:54] So when that was signed into law, it was signed in by the McMaster-Evitt administration. [1:20:00] So stop lying to these people. [1:20:03] I'm surprised you even know what DEI is, never spending a day in business. [1:20:06] Lieutenant Governor, thank you. [1:20:07] Thank you. [1:20:08] Thank you, Kansas. [1:20:09] We've got to move on. [1:20:11] We're going to talk income tax. [1:20:12] You'll be first. [1:20:15] We're going to talk income tax here. [1:20:16] Let's go move on. [1:20:17] We've got another big issue to talk about that a lot of the voters want to know about. [1:20:19] Raphael James, you're up with a question. [1:20:21] Thank you very much. [1:20:22] Before the question, my admiration to you for standing on this stage. [1:20:26] It takes a lot of guts to run for public office. [1:20:31] And to the audience, shout out to you for keeping it classy, South Carolina. [1:20:35] We can disagree without being disagreeable. [1:20:39] Now with that, to the next question. [1:20:42] Both of you want to end the state income tax. [1:20:46] What is the exact year you would make the tax rate 0%? [1:20:51] And which specific parts of government spending would you cut to make up for that lost money? [1:20:57] Raphael, thank you. [1:20:58] Attorney General, you begin. [1:20:59] You have 60 seconds. [1:21:00] Well, first off, there's not a specific year. [1:21:02] I believe it would be six to ten years. [1:21:03] But it has to be capping spending to the rate of population growth. [1:21:06] Over the last ten years, South Carolina state government spending has grown at about 6.5%, where our population has only grown at about 3.2%. [1:21:14] Had we brought down the raise and the rate of spending to the raise of population growth, we could have returned $20 billion to the people of South Carolina. [1:21:23] So as governor, I would cap spending to a rate of population growth or index against it. [1:21:27] And over a period of time, that money would go back into the economy, raising other forms of revenue, inviting outside capital into South Carolina, growing our economy, increasing the coffers. [1:21:37] You cannot stop or you can't end the income tax in one day. [1:21:41] You have to do it over a period of time because the economy has to be able to absorb it so that you continue to fund other core functions of government. [1:21:48] And I would also like to ask my team at home if they would go ahead and put out on social media a copy of the Lieutenant Governor's brochure where she said that she signed a bill on the law and single-handedly kept sanctuary cities after South Carolina. [1:22:00] Attorney General, thank you, Lieutenant Governor. [1:22:08] You have 60 seconds to answer the question about income tax. [1:22:11] Absolutely. [1:22:12] So I'm an accountant by trade. [1:22:13] I'm an entrepreneur at heart. [1:22:15] And I understand that this is a rock-solid issue for the people of South Carolina. [1:22:20] Everybody wants dollars back in their pockets. [1:22:22] And the way we're going to do it is we're going to decrease spending. [1:22:26] First of all, we're going to put a wage freeze on everybody in Columbia until we can figure out what's going on. [1:22:31] We're going to do a deep-dive audit into all of our departments. [1:22:36] But first and foremost, we have to lean in on technology. [1:22:39] Running efficiently, that's what business owners understand. [1:22:42] When you run efficiently, you impact the bottom line. [1:22:45] We are working in antiquated systems, some so outdated that the DMV is working on a cobalt system. [1:22:52] So when we end up putting technology in place, it means we can shrink the size of government because we don't have to keep hiring people to try to do manual work. [1:23:00] We'll get more efficient so we can find out where money is siphoning out to that we may not even know today because we're pushing so much paper around. [1:23:08] We're going to cut regulations so businesses become more profitable. [1:23:12] It's not one silver bullet. [1:23:14] It's putting all those things together and we can do it quickly. [1:23:17] That's the difference between business people and career politicians. [1:23:20] We know how to get things done. [1:23:22] All right, Lieutenant Governor, thank you. [1:23:23] We turn now to Eric Weistel. [1:23:28] Eric? [1:23:30] There's been a recent push nationwide to legalize marijuana. [1:23:34] Even ruby red states like Alabama and Oklahoma have legalized its medical use. [1:23:39] South Carolina, in fact, is one of roughly three to four states that has not legalized any use. [1:23:46] Do you believe there's a pathway for at least the medical use of marijuana to be legalized right here in South Carolina? [1:23:53] Eric, thank you, Lieutenant Governor. [1:23:54] You have 60 seconds. [1:23:55] So, you know, this is an issue that the governor and I worked with law enforcement on very close. [1:24:00] But the governor and I, even as recent as a year ago, had said if somebody could bring a piece of legislation that protects the greater South Carolina. [1:24:11] My dad died of lung cancer. [1:24:13] It was a horrible death. [1:24:16] And if I could have given him something that would have eased his pain in the last few days of his life, I would have done it. [1:24:23] So if the General Assembly can bring me as governor a piece of legislation that doesn't end up being an open door to recreational use, I would heavily sit down and look at that. [1:24:35] But I would bring in experts and doctors to make sure that we can tighten that to really just help people who medically need it. [1:24:43] People who have tried everything and people are sitting in the last minutes of their life. [1:24:47] Because nobody should have to watch their loved one die in pain. [1:24:50] Lieutenant Governor, thank you. [1:24:54] Attorney General, same question. [1:24:56] You have 60 seconds. [1:24:57] Yes, I would be open to, on the medical side, obviously I've spoken with law enforcement leaders all over the country as well as elected leaders, [1:25:04] both in the Republican and Democratic parties who have told me whatever you do, do not have recreational marijuana. [1:25:09] They can't say that publicly in their home states, but they said it has been an absolute disaster. [1:25:13] I have always taken the position and agree with what the Trump administration did. [1:25:17] They said, the Trump administration called for the rescheduling of marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III. [1:25:23] What that means is it can be studied for medical application, which it couldn't as a Schedule I drug. [1:25:28] I have met with so many veterans who are suffering from PTSD, people that I've actually served with in Iraq. [1:25:33] I have met with people suffering with seizures, people suffering with chronic illness, people suffering, people who are terminal. [1:25:39] And if there is a possibility that we could derive some use from the medical application of that, [1:25:44] then South Carolina should follow suit with what the federal government is doing [1:25:47] and have clearly defined laws and regulations that prevent it from being abused. [1:25:51] I would be open to the medical use of it. [1:25:53] Thank you. [1:25:56] We now turn to Dr. Oren Smith once again. [1:25:59] Dr. Smith. [1:26:00] So now to a question about health care freedom. [1:26:02] I recently learned of a South Carolina college student who was attending a university out of state [1:26:09] who wished to see her doctor using telehealth. [1:26:12] But she was forced to drive across the South Carolina state border to use telehealth legally. [1:26:18] Should we open up the health care market to more providers so that South Carolina have more choices [1:26:25] and more freedom in health care? [1:26:27] Dr. Smith, thank you. [1:26:28] Attorney General, you begin. [1:26:29] You have 60 seconds. [1:26:31] Thank you for the question. [1:26:32] Absolutely. [1:26:33] Several years ago, my wife, Jennifer, was diagnosed with breast cancer. [1:26:37] I've talked about this. [1:26:38] She's obviously in remission now. [1:26:40] She's cancer free. [1:26:41] But we had access to incredible health care out there. [1:26:45] We had amazing doctors and amazing community around us. [1:26:47] There are people in South Carolina in certain areas where health care is not readily available to them. [1:26:51] We need to do everything that we can to utilize current technologies that will expand access to health care [1:26:58] so that people can have access to not just health care treating diseases like cancer, but preventative health care. [1:27:03] Anything that we can do to expand opportunities for families, for people to be able to use technology, [1:27:08] to be able to get the access they need to the doctors that they need, [1:27:11] especially in rural areas of South Carolina where doctors, where they don't have access to a doctor or a nurse. [1:27:16] So this is something that I would very much favor. [1:27:18] Using technology to expand access to health care is something that we would definitely be in favor of in South Carolina. [1:27:23] Attorney General, thank you. [1:27:28] Lieutenant Governor, you have 60 seconds. [1:27:30] Well, thank you. [1:27:31] Yes, medical freedom goes so much more beyond just trying to have access to health care to a provider in another state, [1:27:38] but we absolutely should do that. [1:27:40] Because I can tell you, as a business person, when I get my insurance renewals, [1:27:44] anybody trying to get treated in an emergency room, it's the most expensive form of medical care. [1:27:50] So we must do everything we can because we do have a large part of our population that receives Medicaid. [1:27:55] And if we do the smart thing, then we're doing the smart thing for our taxpayer dollars. [1:27:59] But as I said, medical freedom goes far beyond this. [1:28:02] Medical freedom to me means never forcing a parent to get their children vaccinated. [1:28:08] Parents should be the only people that direct the health care of their children. [1:28:15] Medical freedom means nobody should tell you what you have to do. [1:28:19] And that's what we need here in South Carolina. [1:28:22] You know, my opponent has talked numerous times about the fact that, you know, [1:28:27] who would I appoint to the role of the Department of Health and Services? [1:28:32] Let me tell you, it would not be Brandon Traxler, and it would be nobody like Dr. Ed Zimmer. [1:28:37] Attorney General, thank you. [1:28:39] Attorney General, you were mentioned. [1:28:41] You have 30 seconds to respond. [1:28:43] Well, first off, like I said, the Wilson Administration would have people appointed to it [1:28:49] that would obviously reflect the will, the values of South Carolina citizens. [1:28:52] And I absolutely would do everything I can to promote and expand access to health care, [1:28:57] both through the policies and the personnel that we would put into these positions [1:29:01] to give most access to most health care to the people of South Carolina. [1:29:04] Thank you. [1:29:05] Attorney General, thank you. [1:29:06] As we begin to wrap up here tonight, both campaigns have been critical at times of the other campaign, [1:29:14] even tonight here on stage. [1:29:15] Some heated moments, some harsh attacks. [1:29:17] So let's go ahead and wrap up here tonight for a moment of unity. [1:29:20] And I'd like to ask each candidate what's something you respect or admire about your opponent? [1:29:25] Lieutenant Governor, you begin. [1:29:26] You have 30 seconds. [1:29:28] Okay. [1:29:29] Well, I do respect Allen Wilson's service to our country. [1:29:34] I respect all veterans that put it all on the line to fight for our freedom. [1:29:39] So I have the utmost respect for our veterans all across the state. [1:29:42] Thank you, Allen, for your service. [1:29:46] Lieutenant Governor, thank you. [1:29:47] Attorney General Allen Wilson, you have 30 seconds. [1:29:49] Folks at home, I know you've seen a lot of fireworks up here tonight. [1:29:52] I do not see the Lieutenant Governor as my enemy. [1:29:55] She is my political competitor right now. [1:29:57] And what I can say about her, I've known Pam now for over eight years, and I've seen her be an incredible wife to her husband, David. [1:30:05] I think she's an amazing mother to her children, and I think she's a very strong family person. [1:30:10] And I do believe Pam loves the state of South Carolina. [1:30:13] She chose to move here from Ohio because she saw opportunity here, and I commend her for that. [1:30:18] So, Pam, best wishes to you. [1:30:20] Attorney General, thank you. [1:30:26] Candace, thank you so much. [1:30:28] That does it for our discussion portion of tonight's debate. [1:30:31] Again, we cannot say it enough. [1:30:33] Early voting begins tomorrow, so make sure as you're watching tonight, you're able to go out and vote tomorrow morning, start at 830. [1:30:39] It's all leading up to primary day, that runoff election on June 23rd. [1:30:43] Again, we are going to take a quick commercial break. [1:30:45] When we come back, have their closing statements, their final pitch to you, the voters. [1:30:49] Again, we'll be right back. We'll take a quick break. [1:33:16] And welcome back to Gray Media's presentation of this runoff debate in the GOP primary. [1:33:20] We are set to wrap up tonight's debate here in Conway. [1:33:23] And to end the night, the candidates have their closing statements to you, the voter, as you are set to return to the ballot box one week from tonight. [1:33:31] And again, early voting begins tomorrow. [1:33:33] So candidates, you each have two minutes here tonight to give that final pitch to voters. [1:33:37] And Attorney General, you begin. [1:33:39] Again, two minutes. [1:33:40] I want to thank you, the people of South Carolina, for giving me the opportunity this past year of sharing my vision for our great state of South Carolina. [1:33:49] As your next governor, my number one goal in everything that I do will be to make a living in our state more affordable for your families. [1:33:57] To make our economy more profitable for your business. [1:34:00] And to make our government more accountable to you. [1:34:03] Your decision on who your next governor will be is much more than just about policy, judgment, character, courage. [1:34:12] And the ability to inspire should matter, too. [1:34:15] How a candidate campaign signals how they will govern. [1:34:18] Is their campaign one of lies, deceptions, and exaggerations? [1:34:22] Or one focused on fighting for your family? [1:34:26] You deserve a governor who tells you the truth and demonstrates good judgment. [1:34:31] Someone who has the courage to fight for you when it matters. [1:34:35] As your next governor, I will fight to eliminate the income tax, reduce your property taxes, doge fraud, waste, and abuse from government. [1:34:44] I will lower your utility rates. [1:34:46] I will fight to promote a kids first education agenda, fix our crumbling roads and bridges, and modernize our government. [1:34:53] I will fight for judicial reform. [1:34:55] Ladies and gentlemen, I'm asking everyone watching tonight for your vote. [1:35:02] I need you to get out and vote next Tuesday. [1:35:05] It's your decision, it's your choice, and no one else's. [1:35:11] As your next governor, I'm going to make a solemn pledge to you. [1:35:15] My pledge is this. [1:35:18] I will always fight for you. [1:35:21] I will always put you first. [1:35:24] I would be honored to have your vote. [1:35:26] Thank you for the honor of allowing me to serve as your Attorney General these past 15 years. [1:35:30] And I look forward to serving as your next governor. [1:35:33] God bless you all. [1:35:34] Attorney General, thank you. [1:35:46] Attorney General, thank you, Lieutenant Governor. [1:35:49] Your turn. [1:35:50] You have two minutes, Lieutenant Governor. [1:35:52] You have two minutes for your closing statement. [1:35:54] Well, first off, I want to take the beginning of this to address that backhanded comment that the Attorney General just made to me. [1:36:00] He's finally telling the truth up here. [1:36:02] I didn't hit the lottery to be born in South Carolina, but I raised my family here. [1:36:07] I grew my business here. [1:36:08] I created jobs here. [1:36:10] And I left a thriving business to be your Lieutenant Governor. [1:36:14] So, to all the people like myself who didn't hit that lottery of being born here, you just heard the Attorney General tell you, you're really not a South Carolinian. [1:36:25] To the Spivey family, thank you so much for coming tonight. [1:36:30] My heart goes out to you. [1:36:34] And I hope that you find justice, the justice that you didn't find in the Attorney General's office. [1:36:39] It's important to have leadership and business know-how when you're the CEO of this state. [1:36:50] And I had the courage. [1:36:52] I had the courage to stand up for the Heritage Act when the Attorney General allowed the Calhoun Monument to be taken down. [1:37:00] I had the courage, along with the Governor, when the Attorney General refused to go to the Supreme Court to defend the Medina versus Planned Parenthood case. [1:37:11] We fought to keep your tax dollars out of abortion clinics. [1:37:15] You know my vision. [1:37:17] You know my heart. [1:37:18] I've been with all of you for eight years. [1:37:22] I ask all of you, humbly, for your vote. [1:37:25] Early voting starts tomorrow. [1:37:27] I need all my supporters to come out, and I want all the supporters of the opponents who are no longer in this race, [1:37:34] or some of the supporters who have seen a career politician at work and is no longer happy with that choice, [1:37:41] come over to Team Evitt. [1:37:43] We have a big tent, and we're going to do great things together. [1:37:46] I believe South Carolina is the best place to live, to work, and to raise your family. [1:37:56] But under an avid administration, our best days are yet ahead of us. [1:38:01] Lieutenant Governor, thank you. [1:38:02] And candidates, candidates, before we go tonight, before we get to go tonight, I want to ask one time real quick, show of hands, no matter who wins on June 23rd, are you willing to support the Republican nominee for Governor? [1:38:21] Candidates, thank you. [1:38:24] And to you at home, thank you so much for joining us yet again for our fourth and final debate in this historic Republican primary. [1:38:31] Once again, make sure you go vote. We've already had historic turnout. Let's continue to make history with this turnout. [1:38:40] The runoff election day is one week from tonight. That's June 23rd. You can see on your screen here, polls are open from 7 to 7, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. [1:38:48] And early voting, as you heard, begins tomorrow morning. That means you can wake up tomorrow and go vote. [1:38:54] Early voting locations are open from 8.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. throughout the state, both tomorrow and Thursday. [1:39:01] But for now, be sure to go vote. And on behalf of Gray Media, thank you so much for joining us. History will soon be made in South Carolina. Have a great night. And again, go vote. [1:39:12] All right, there you go. The wrap up there of our fourth and final SCGOP debate, that runoff debate that just wrapped up there at Coastal Carolina University. [1:39:52] And what a debate it was. We saw some fireworks. We expected some back and forth, but I don't know that we expected all of that that we saw tonight. [1:40:01] Great debate, very substantive. And of course, we've got some clips that we're going to play back. [1:40:06] We're going to start here with the question about SC State and the effort to defund the school there. [1:40:14] Of course, the whole thing started when Pamela Evitt was set to be the commencement speaker there, and then the offer was rescinded after students demonstrated and did some protesting against her. [1:40:29] We do have that back and forth now between Evitt and Wilson on whether or not they support defunding that school. [1:40:37] SC State rescinded my invitation to be their commencement speaker. [1:40:41] My feelings weren't hurt that the students may not have wanted me. My feelings, it was more of a sense of bewilderment at their reasoning. [1:40:48] They didn't want me because I was pro-life and pro-Trump and anti-DEI and pro-law enforcement. [1:40:55] And where was the faculty, where was the leadership there to say President Trump has been the biggest supporter of our historically black colleges and universities? [1:41:06] And this South Carolina governor, Lieutenant Governor General Assembly, has done all they can to make sure funding is balanced. [1:41:14] If our conservative tax dollars aren't welcome on college campuses, then neither is our money. [1:41:22] We will take it away if they try to stop conservative speech. [1:41:27] I would never support taking tax dollars because a bunch of kids who didn't like me or didn't like my politics protested on a campus. [1:41:34] If we're going to be conservative, if we're going to be conservative to protect conservative speech, then we should be conservative in protecting all speech, even speech that which we don't agree with. [1:41:43] Lieutenant Governor, I mean, I was obviously and honestly disappointed, not, you know, I was really disappointed that you were getting down in the mud mixing up with college kids. [1:41:53] A governor has to rise above it. A governor has to be the governor for all people. [1:41:57] Yes, we can oppose suppressing conservative speech on campuses, but stripping kids of money because they don't like you or disinvited you. [1:42:05] That's not what a governor is supposed to do. We can do better than that. [1:42:08] And as governor, I will be a governor for all people and we will protect conservative speech, but we will also protect speech we don't agree with. [1:42:15] All right. Well, there is that extended back and forth between the two of them over tax dollars for SC State. [1:42:21] The debate covered a wide range of issues, everything from transportation and endorsements to health care and even tort reform, [1:42:29] which I actually thought the tort reform bit was going to be a very, to be honest, boring section of the debate. [1:42:34] But it actually turned out to be one of the most back and forth between the two of them. [1:42:40] In fact, we got this sort of mudslinging moment between the two going back and forth attacking each other's record that came out of that tort reform question. Take a listen. [1:42:50] Thank you. Well, this is the second time I've been asked this question. I was asked in the first debate, a debate lieutenant governor wasn't able to make it to. [1:42:56] Well, all I can say is this is, this is the rantings of a true career politician. When somebody is talking facts about your record, if you want to talk, the attorney general took 126% pay increase during the last eight years, the same pay increase the governor and I turned down. That's mudslinging. [1:43:16] That's mudslinging. [1:43:17] Attorney governor, thank you. I get it. [1:43:22] Attorney General, you were mentioned. You have 30 seconds. [1:43:26] Ma'am, you may not have taken a lot of tucker tests, but you certainly lie a lot. [1:43:29] So I think the key that you missed there, attorney general, is that you got it. We could have taken it. We turned it down. [1:43:39] You know, when I first got into public service, I never could understand what people meant when they said if Alan Wilson's lips are moving, he's lying. [1:43:48] He knows full well that I did not profit from DEI. [1:43:53] Thank you. We have to move on. You'll get the first answer. We're going to keep moving on. Our fifth question here tonight. [1:44:01] There were a lot of questions that were asked tonight, including one about marijuana, asking whether or not either candidate would support any kind of legislation that could potentially legalize even medical marijuana. [1:44:24] And both the candidates, well, certainly Evett was on the camp that she basically said no, while Wilson said he could potentially see some pathway. [1:44:35] But it has to be very clear with law enforcement being very much in support. [1:44:40] But here's what they both had to say on that topic. [1:44:43] So, you know, this is an issue that the governor and I worked with law enforcement on very close. [1:44:47] But the governor and I, even as recent as a year ago, had said if somebody could bring a piece of legislation that protects the greater South Carolina. [1:44:58] My dad died of lung cancer. It was a horrible death. [1:45:02] And if I could have given him something that would have eased his pain in the last few days of his life, I would have done it. [1:45:10] So if the General Assembly can bring me as governor a piece of legislation that doesn't end up being an open door to recreational use, I would heavily sit down and look at that. [1:45:21] But I would bring in experts and doctors to make sure that we can tighten that to really just help people who medically need it. [1:45:29] People who have tried everything and people are sitting in the last minutes of their life. [1:45:33] Because nobody should have to watch their loved one die in pain. [1:45:36] Yes, I would be open to, on the medical side, obviously I've spoken with law enforcement leaders all over the country as well as elected leaders, [1:45:44] both in the Republican and Democratic parties who have told me whatever you do, do not have recreational marijuana. [1:45:50] They can't say that publicly in their home states, but they said it has been an absolute disaster. [1:45:54] I have always taken the position and agree with what the Trump administration did. [1:45:58] They said, the Trump administration called for the rescheduling of marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III. [1:46:04] What that means is it can be studied for medical application, which it couldn't as a Schedule I drug. [1:46:09] I have met with so many veterans who are suffering from PTSD, people that I've actually served with in Iraq. [1:46:15] I have met with people suffering with seizures, people suffering with chronic illness, [1:46:18] people suffering, people who are terminal. [1:46:20] And if there is a possibility that we could derive some use from the medical application of that, [1:46:25] then South Carolina should follow suit with what the federal government's doing [1:46:28] and have clearly defined laws and regulations that prevent it from being abused. [1:46:32] I would be open to the medical use of it. [1:46:34] All right, you've heard from the candidates both with that hour-long debate, now a couple more clips as well. [1:46:40] We do have a poll going on right now through our YouTube comment section. [1:46:44] I want to know who you think won the debate. [1:46:47] We've already gotten a number of folks voting in that poll. [1:46:50] 72% say it was Wilson that won the debate. [1:46:53] But vote to get into that comment section and vote in the poll. [1:46:58] Let me know who you think won the debate. I want to hear from you. [1:47:00] There was a moment towards the end where the panelists asked the candidates to basically say something nice about the other, their opponent. [1:47:13] Now, they both pledged to support the other in the general election, but for that question about saying something nice about your opponent, [1:47:21] certainly Pamela Ebbett did, but Wilson also said some nice things but kind of had a backhanded dig as well. Take a listen. [1:47:31] Well, I do respect Alan Wilson's service to our country. [1:47:37] I respect all veterans that put it all on the line to fight for our freedom. [1:47:42] So I have the utmost respect for our veterans all across the state. Thank you, Alan, for your service. [1:47:47] Folks at home, I know you've seen a lot of fireworks up here tonight. [1:47:51] I do not see the lieutenant governor as my enemy. [1:47:54] She is my political competitor right now. [1:47:56] And what I can say about her, I've known Pam now for over eight years, [1:48:00] and I've seen her be an incredible wife to her husband David. [1:48:04] I think she's an amazing mother to her children, and I think she's a very strong family person. [1:48:09] And I do believe Pam loves the state of South Carolina. [1:48:12] She chose to move here from Ohio because she saw opportunity here, and I commend her for that. [1:48:17] So, Pam, best wishes to you. [1:48:19] There it is, the Ohio comment. [1:48:23] That one is a common attack for folks here in South Carolina. [1:48:27] Of course, I thought throughout this whole thing, Wilson was on form, as he usually is. [1:48:33] But Pamela Evitt, who has only been on the debate stage one other time, I thought she was ready. [1:48:38] She had done her work. [1:48:39] She had prepared. [1:48:40] And she was prepared for that comment in particular. [1:48:42] She came back right after that saying in her closing statements that she's basically going after the vote of folks that under Alan Wilson's definition are not from South Carolina. [1:48:54] And, you know, Evitt has been here for decades now. [1:48:57] So she may not be from here, but she has certainly put in her time in South Carolina. [1:49:02] And Evitt, in her closing statement, said, listen, if you don't have generational ties to South Carolina, Alan Wilson doesn't think that you're a South Carolinian, but you can vote for me. [1:49:11] So she was clearly prepared for the attacks that Alan Wilson had prepped in in preparation for this debate. [1:49:19] Let's go ahead, though, and take a listen to some of those some of the moments there in those closing those closing statements. [1:49:26] The last statements that you're going to hear on the debate stage from these candidates as to why they should get your vote. [1:49:33] Here's Alan Wilson. [1:49:34] As your next governor, I'm going to make a solemn pledge to you. [1:49:41] My pledge is this. [1:49:44] I will always fight for you. [1:49:47] I will always put you first. [1:49:50] I would be honored to have your vote. [1:49:52] Thank you for the honor of allowing me to serve as your attorney general these past 15 years. [1:49:56] And I look forward to serving as your next governor. [1:49:59] God bless you all. [1:50:00] All right. [1:50:11] Those are just some of the closing comments that we heard from Alan Wilson. [1:50:14] Of course, I mentioned it earlier. [1:50:15] Evett was on form there in those final moments, taking a second to respond to the Ohio comment. [1:50:22] Here she is now with why you should vote for her. [1:50:25] I need all my supporters to come out. [1:50:27] And I want all the supporters of the opponents who are no longer in this race or some of the reporters that have some supporters who have seen a career politician at work and is no longer happy with that choice. [1:50:39] Come over to Team Evett. [1:50:40] We have a big tent and we're going to do great things together. [1:50:44] I believe South Carolina is the best place to live, to work and to raise your family. [1:50:55] But under an Evett administration, our best days are yet ahead of us. [1:51:00] Lieutenant Governor, thank you. [1:51:01] All right. [1:51:08] That's going to be about it here from our OTT desk in our post coverage of the debate here. [1:51:13] That runoff debate election is going to be next Tuesday, early voting starting Wednesday and Thursday. [1:51:19] Our own poll here on YouTube, only 109 votes. [1:51:22] So don't take it with a grain of salt here. [1:51:25] But Alan Wilson, 73% of the people that voted in our poll said Alan Wilson was winning that debate. [1:51:32] 27 for Pamela Evett. [1:51:35] And if you recall back from our pre-coverage of the debate, some of the latest polls show Wilson up double digits on Pamela Evett. [1:51:46] One of those polls showing that Wilson is 46% to 39%. [1:51:50] Pamela Evett, another one showing that it's almost a 60-30 spread. [1:51:55] Of course, we'll have to see how things turn out. [1:51:58] But remember, early voting starts tomorrow, goes through Thursday, then election day, Tuesday of next week. [1:52:05] Make sure that you bring a valid ID so that you can vote and you do have to vote in whichever political primary you voted in last week. [1:52:14] So if you were voted in the Republican primary last week, you're going to have to vote in the Republican primary this week. [1:52:19] Same thing for Democrats. [1:52:20] If you didn't vote at all last week, you are still welcome to vote in the runoff. [1:52:24] But again, you do have to pick one of the parties to vote in. [1:52:29] We're going to call that good here from our first alert desk of our special coverage of that fourth and final GOP gubernatorial debate between Alan Wilson and Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evett. [1:52:41] Thanks for joining me. [1:52:42] And we're going to see you right back here tomorrow morning for 5 on 5 Plus at 10 a.m. [1:52:49] Have an excellent night.