District 48 is located in York County and includes portions of the county surrounding the Fort Mill and Tega Cay area.
Brandon Guffey (R)
What is the top issue in your district, and how do you plan to address it?
My top priority is to protect citizens data and to get government out of the way, which is driving up costs. As a member of Labor Commerce and Industry in SC, I have always focused on protecting citizens and businesses rights throughout our State. As chair of Artificial Intelligence Regulatory Sub Committee, I believe the most consequential decisions made in our State’s history will be made during this time. We are at a crux of protecting our citizens and not stifling innovation as we continue in the Artificial Intelligence race. We need guardrails to ensure citizens come first.
What policies will you advocate for to bring down costs?
Common sense tells us that the more government involvement in private industry, the higher the cost. We are all feeling it at the pump, the grocery stores, and throughout our day to day lives. That is why I have been part of cutting taxes over 3 Billion since taking office and will continue to guide our balanced budget in SC to a zero percent income tax. The more money in your pocket, allows you to decide where your money goes. By operating a balanced budget in SC, we must operate the same way you manage your budget at home. We don’t spend money that isn’t there and we will continue to cut waste fraud and abuse within our system.
- What should South Carolina do about data centers?
I’m a firm believer in that government works best closest to the people. When it comes to industry specific issues such as data centers, most of that can be controlled via zoning. There is much to learn and educate the State around data centers. There are positives such as eliminating property tax, funding schools better, and funding our first responders better. There are negatives such as energy impact, environmental impact, and community impact. I believe we as a State should have meetings to inform the citizens and separate fact from fiction, but not allow personal agendas to drive the conversation. We could get the best of both worlds. We could allow Data Centers in areas that were once brownfield sites so they improve the soil. We could demand that they use limited water compared to the company that was there before them. We could insist that they pay to upgrade the grid without it going on the backs of ratepayers and we could insist through FILOTS that the tax revenue they generate stay within the community. As far as community impact, that would have to remain on a local zoning level and may require educating county officials on the impacts to ensure there are proper setbacks, safety concerns, and address any environmental concerns.
Should South Carolina expand Medicaid?
I don’t believe it should expand medicaid at this time. We are already seeing our neighboring states come off of medicaid expansion. We should address healthcare costs to help our citizens but not on the back of taxpayers. There is too many current issues we need to address in healthcare at the moment from drug costs, PBM reform, repealing of certificate of need, and medical billing transparency. All of these should be simpler for the citizens to understand instead of more cloak and dagger with the hyper acceleration of medical costs. Citizens deserve to have healthcare at fair and reasonable prices. Your life should never depend on your wallet.
What separates you from your opponent?
I honestly don’t know much about my opponent because I focus on my mission of protecting children online when I am not in office. What I do know is that he seems like a man with a great heart and loves the community just as I do. What separates us are core ideals. I believe that we shouldn’t have men in girls sports or locker rooms. I believe that government is often the problem, not the solution. I believe in true liberty but also understand that protecting those that can’t protect themselves is paramount. I am led by my faith in my lord and savior, Jesus Christ. What I love about our system is that at the end of the day, it is the choice of the people and not an individual on whom will represent our values. I am born and raised within the district and believe my values are the reason so many choose to move here. I believe I am a true representative of the district and I know that I serve at the will of the people. If I ever make a decision based on my next election as opposed to the next generation, then it is time for me to step down. I try to approach every decision with an open mind and debate the pros and cons of each issue. Being raised by a teenage mom here, I know what it is like to struggle. As a small business owner, I know what it is like for government to get in the way. As a father that has lost a child, I know what is most important and that is what we leave for those when we are gone. I like the think that SC is better today than it was when I took office 4 years ago and that is why I have been awarded SCGOP Legislator of the year, Legislator of the Year by the SC Counseling association, Cyber Crimes Investigator of the Year, Organization for Social media Safety advocate of the year, and Human Trafficking Taskforce advocate of the year since taking office 4 short years ago.