DOGE, Redistricting, and Income Tax Dominate Dorchester GOP Dinner

Key Candidates Address Voters at Faith, Family, and Freedom Dinner

Conservatives from across the Lowcountry came together in Summerville for the Dorchester County Republicans' fifth annual Faith, Family, and Freedom Dinner. The event provided a platform for key state party members to share their vision as the race for governor intensifies.

Gubernatorial candidates Attorney General Alan Wilson, Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette, Congressman Ralph Norman (SC-05), and State Senator Josh Kimbrell all delivered speeches. Additionally, state Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver and US Senate candidate Paul Dans shared their perspectives. Each candidate emphasized local infrastructure, education, and loyalty to the current administration. They discussed initiatives such as bringing the Department of Government Efficiency to South Carolina and redistricting the state's lone Democrat representative, Jim Clyburn, out of office.

Promises and Plans from Gubernatorial Candidates

Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette made a notable promise during her speech. She stated that if elected, she would eliminate the state income tax, referencing GOP-led states like Texas and Florida that have already done so. Evette introduced her own version of the Department of Government Efficiency, calling it SCDOGE. “If elected, we will have our own South Carolina Department of Efficiency,” she said.

Evette also sought to distinguish herself from other candidates. “You can pick a mother of three, a conservative businesswoman and a woman of faith, or you can pick a career politician,” she said. “You can pick somebody who stood with President Trump from the start, or someone who jumped on the Trump train when it became beneficial to do that.”

Attorney General Alan Wilson also spoke about DOGE-ing the Palmetto State. “We need to DOGE the state from top to bottom, back to the top again, to eliminate spending,” he said.

Controversies and Personal Stories

Last week, new police video surfaced showing Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mullins Mcleod threatening Wilson by name. In the video, Mcleod screamed he wanted to kick Wilson’s teeth in multiple times. Wilson remained unfazed, stating, “This is par for the course. When you've had people actually try and kill you in real life, having people say mean things about you during a political campaign really doesn't matter to me. I haven't thought twice about it.”

Wilson, a nearly 30-year Army National Guard veteran, shared a personal story from his time in Iraq. During his speech, he described a moment when one of his vehicles was hit by an IED, nearly killing him with shrapnel. “I have actually been in combat, I know what it's like to make the hard choices that other people don't want to make,” he said. “Making political decisions, policy decisions, or legislative decisions pale in comparison.”

Redistricting and Infrastructure Concerns

Congressman Ralph Norman outlined his plans to redistrict Jim Clyburn's district if he were to be elected. “We’re going to redistrict the sixth district. There’s no reason we should give the representative in the sixth district a voice,” he said. “We have got seven congressmen, six of them are conservative Republicans, and we got one who votes against us on everything. He’s harming his district folks so we’re going to redistrict to make it fair.”

Norman also highlighted concerns about crumbling infrastructure in the state. He referenced a report from the National Transportation Committee, which gave failing grades to many areas of South Carolina's systems. “Aviation a D, drinking water a D, roads a D, dams a D, public transit a D. This is unacceptable,” he said. “We cannot put this off any longer, we cannot wait. We are not ready for the surge that is coming to South Carolina.”

Spiritual and Political Battles

South Carolina Senator Josh Kimbrell spoke about the spiritual battle he believes is taking place at the heart of the nation. “We have a spiritual battle going on in this country can y’all at least agree with that?” asked Kimbrell. “This is now good versus evil, right versus wrong, liberty versus tyranny. At the end of the day, if we don't have a belief in God in this country, and if we don't treat each other with civility, it won't matter.”

State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver, who is up for reelection in 2026, also addressed the audience. “I am so excited to speak about the incredible work our teachers are doing here in South Carolina. We are seeing our reading scores go through the roof. I'm so proud of our students and I'm so proud of our teachers for the way we are kicking off this new school year,” she said.

Challenges and Future Outlook

Project 2025 Director Paul Dans, who is seeking to replace Sen. Lindsey Graham, continued his criticism of the longtime incumbent. “Everyone here in the state of South Carolina has Lindsey Graham's number,” he said. “He’s double crossed too many people too many times, and we’re ready for the next generation of America First leadership and that’s what our team is going to provide.”

Dans also commented on how there are still parts of Project 2025 that have not been finished, calling it an unfinished race. “We know that the loggerhead of the swap is the U.S. Senate, and we have none other than the biggest swamp critter Lindsey Graham,” he said. “So I'm here for project 2026, which is to bring this senate seat back to the people of South Carolina. To end the war mongering and really set America and South Carolina first.”

As the races continue to develop, early voters are beginning to consider their choices for the upcoming November elections.