SOUTH CAROLINA — While most of the attention in the South Carolina governor race has been focused on the Republicans, there is still a race on the Democratic side.
South Carolina Representative Jermaine Johnson, lawyer Mullins McLeod, and former White House staffer Billy Webster are all running. The Political Beat’s Joe Bruno spoke to Johnson about his campaign and changes he wants to see.
“I’ve got a history of just going through a lot of things in my life, but I represent the people, the people who have gone through so many situations in their life, some trials and tribulations,” Johnson said. “You know, I’ve lost a brother to gun violence. I’ve lost another brother in a tragic car accident. You know, I came through a whole substance abuse situation with my family, losing family members to drugs and gangs and things like that. But, you know, I worked hard. I got a scholarship to play basketball at the College of Charleston. Graduated college, I played professional basketball, you know, got heavily involved in community and unseated a 22 year incumbent. Become the first African American and the youngest to represent my district in history. So I’m here.”
Johnson has his eyes on the Governor’s mansion with mental health, infrastructure and education topping the list of his priorities.
“Us being 43rd in the country in education, we need to do a complete overhaul of our public education system to make sure that our children are getting the best advantages for life,” Johnson said.
He also wants to address marijuana use. He wants to legalize it for medicinal purposes. South Carolina and North Carolina are two of only a handful of states that don’t allow this. He also wants a referendum on whether it should be legalized for everyone
“I want to let the people decide. I want to put it on the ballot and allow the people of South Carolina to decide if that’s the way that they want to go, because people, for far too long, have felt like their voices have not been heard,” Johnson said. “I want to allow them to decide these things, you know, and then for anybody that has a nonviolent cannabis, you know, related criminal situation, I want to pardon those individuals, because it makes no sense for people to be in prison for something that is literally legal in other places around this country.”
Johnson represents Kershaw and Richland Counties but has his eyes on York. He says he is keenly aware of the Silfab Solar controversy. He says that development should have never been allowed to happen
SC Rep. Jermaine Johnson, (D) Gubernatorial Candidate
“We should be putting buffers around these places like this. We should not allow them to be in the vicinity of these schools. Because our children, we have to prioritize their lives right now,” he said. “They can’t control where they go to school. They can’t control where they live at they can’t control any of these things, but us as the responsible adults, or what we should be as responsible adults, we should step in and say, You know what? We’re not going to allow things like this that can potentially harm our children to be placed in places where our children are going to be operating in.”
Johnson is facing businessman Billy Webster and attorney Mullins McLeod in the primary. He says what sets him apart is their wealth.
“Both of those individuals are multimillionaires. I’m not. I’m a grassroots guy. I’m a guy who came from the struggle, who learned about how to work hard for the people, who has come through every different type of trial and tribulation you can think of, but made it to the other side,” Johnson said. “I was able to work hard, get that education, and achieve that American dream. So I can show the rest of South Carolina how to achieve that American dream.”
>> Tune into the Political Beat next this Sunday as we interview Billy Webster.
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