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What my campaign is for:
Accessible Education
South Carolina's education system has ranked 43rd in the nation since 2021, and only about 33.3% of South Carolinians hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This shortcoming in SC's quality of education disproportionately affects rural areas like ours in District 1.
I plan to champion efforts to improve the quality of our education in rural areas by advocating for state dollars to be put toward:
1) Closing the massive pay gap between teachers in rural and urban districts through a Teacher Equity Fund.
2) Making breakfast and lunch universally free in SC public schools, removing the stigma of free-and-reduced lunch programs.
3) Increasing state funding to technical colleges and tying tuition costs at technical colleges to a fixed percentage of the state minimum wage so they remain accessible as wages change.
Affordable Healthcare
At least 246,000 South Carolinians — many of them in rural upstate communities — fall through the cracks between Medicaid eligibility and marketplace subsidies. They have no realistic path to healthcare coverage.
In my opinion, the single biggest step toward healthcare affordability that we can take in our state is expanding Medicaid in South Carolina.
Medicaid expansion has been proposed in the South Carolina House through H. 3109 and, if elected, this is a bill that I would avidly support.
Reliable Infrastructure
One of South Carolina's most visible shortcomings in infrastructure is in our roads. Rural roads in particular tend to get overlooked by the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT).
Last month, the SC House passed a bill (S.831) aimed at making the SCDOT more effective.
I would advocate for going beyond the contents of this bill by:
Encouraging the House to consider reform of the South Carolina Transportation Infrastructure Bank (SCTIB), an independent agency from the SCDOT that operates with limited oversight and
often holds up funding for our roads.
Assessing the statewide benefits of replacing gas tax with a Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) fee for commercial vehicles and large freight operators — the heaviest road users who cause the most pavement damage. VMT fees charge based on actual road use, which could be fairer and more durable than a fuel tax.
Affordable Cost of Living
In District 1, 52% of all Pickens County households and 22% of all Oconee County households live below the "ALICE" threshold, which means that they cannot afford basic necessities like
housing, food, and healthcare.
These are our neighbors, and they need help.
To fix this, I would advocate for increased funding to state programs that support affordable childcare, which is a huge drain on household finances and, of course, would support the Democratic Party's efforts to pass H.3226, a bill that would increase our state minimum wage.
A Protected Environment
District 1 is home to one of the most ecologically significant and irreplaceable landscapes in the entire Southeast, largely because of one key feature of Oconee and Pickens counties: our waterways.
As beautiful as the Chattooga River, the Chauga River, Lake Jocassee, Lake Keowee, and Lake Hartwell are, they are not just scenery. This is drinking water, economic infrastructure, habitat,
and cultural identity.
I have dedicated my career to local environmental work and, as State House Representative for District 1, my pledge to protect the natural areas that make this corner of the state so special will never waver.
News
Past Event: Bites, Beats, and Ballots: Meet the Candidates
The Democratic candidates for SC House District 1 gave speeches at this candidate forum.