High Prices Take Center Stage in South Carolina’s Governor’s Race

What’s Going On? (The Big Picture)

Imagine your piggy bank isn’t stretching as far as it used to when you go to the store. That’s exactly what’s happening to many families in South Carolina (often called the Palmetto State). The two people running to become the state’s next governor — one from the Republican party and one from the Democratic party — both say they have plans to help. But their ideas show the different big-picture ways the two parties think about solving money problems.

Meet the Candidates and Their Big Ideas

The two people hoping to lead South Carolina are:

• Alan Wilson: He is the Republican nominee. He has been the state’s attorney general (like the state’s top lawyer) for four terms.
• Jermaine Johnson: He is the Democratic nominee. He has been a state representative (a local lawmaker) for Richland County since 2020.

Both men agree that things cost too much, but they want to fix it in different ways.

Alan Wilson’s Plan: Make Government Cheaper

Wilson’s main idea is to lower the cost of the government itself. In April, he told reporters:

"My number one goal is going to be making our economy more affordable for South Carolina families. And you’re going to do that by eliminating the income tax (and) reducing property taxes."

He also said there is "fraud, waste and abuse" (think of it like someone wasting the family grocery money) that makes government cost more, and he wants to stop that.

Jermaine Johnson’s Plan: Help Workers and Cut Taxes

Johnson also wants to cut taxes. His plan would:

• Take 70% of state income taxpayers off the rolls (meaning they wouldn’t have to pay state income tax anymore).
• Reduce property taxes (the tax you pay on your home or land).

But he also wants to focus on something else: raising the minimum wage (the lowest amount an employer can pay a worker per hour) for lower-income workers. In a June 3 debate, he said people should imagine "going to your one well-paying job and coming home to your safe neighborhood after picking your children up from a well-performing public school." He says this starts with "a livable minimum wage" — a wage high enough to actually live on.

Campaigns Sharpen Their Pitches (The Specific Plans)

Recently, both campaigns shared exact details about how they’d help people deal with rising costs.

Johnson’s Detailed Plan

In a July 7 text exchange, Johnson said South Carolina families are feeling the squeeze every day, and the fix starts with "putting more money back in people’s pockets." His team wants to:

• Boost local making of stuff: Pass a law called the "South Carolina Resource Independence and Resilience Act" to make more essential resources (like food or materials) inside the state and keep supply chains (the journey from factory to store shelf) strong.
• Raise the minimum wage so it is livable.
• Hold insurance companies accountable to lower the price of insurance.
• Give tax relief to small businesses that create jobs in neighborhoods.

Important Point: Johnson believes the government should work to make life cheaper and open up money-making chances for every South Carolinian.

Wilson’s Detailed Plan

Wilson’s campaign spokesman, Woods Wooten, said in a July 6 email that every plan starts with one question: "Will this make life more affordable for South Carolina families?"

Wilson’s specific ideas include:

1. Eliminating the state income tax (the tax taken from your paycheck by the state).
2. Reforming property taxes by fixing something called "Act 388" (a state law about property taxes).
3. Cutting government waste through the "Families First Audit Initiative" (basically, checking the government’s books to stop wasteful spending).
4. Lowering insurance costs through "common-sense tort reform" (this means changing some rules about lawsuits to help bring down insurance prices).
5. Expanding affordable, reliable energy production (making more power, like electricity, without it costing too much).

Important Point: Wilson believes families should keep more of what they earn, be able to buy a home, and build their future in South Carolina.

The Politics … and the Prices (Why Everything Costs More)

A political scientist (someone who studies how politics works) named Scott Huffmon from Winthrop University polled (asked) South Carolinians about affordability in May. He said he wasn’t surprised this issue is the big topic of debate. "Like the rest of the country, we’re struggling here in South Carolina with increased costs just trying to make ends meet," he said.

What Does the Struggle Look Like?

According to the Winthrop Poll:

• 67% of residents say groceries (food) are hard to afford.
• 59% say health care and housing costs are hard to afford.
• 61% say eating at restaurants is unaffordable.
• 72% say a week-long vacation is out of reach (they can’t do it).

Price data from a national group called the Urban Institute shows why people feel squeezed. Since 2017 in South Carolina:

• Monthly grocery prices and health insurance premiums (the amount you pay for insurance) went up by almost 40%.
• Rent and child care costs went up by more than 46%.
• The price of a home shot up by a huge 68%.

Can a Governor Fix This?

Joseph Von Nessen, an economist (someone who studies money and trade) at the University of South Carolina, pointed out in a July 7 interview that the rising costs of everyday things are mostly not something a governor can control.

Important Point: Von Nessen said, "It’s largely national forces that are driving affordability challenges as a whole." Right now, the U.S. inflation rate (how fast prices go up) is 4.2%, but wages (paychecks) are only going up 3.4%. This means people are losing purchasing power — their dollar just isn’t going as far as it used to.

One Place to Make a Difference: Housing

Even though governors can’t control everything, Von Nessen noted there is one big area where state government can help: housing.

Here is what the candidates propose:

• Johnson supports larger investments in subsidized affordable housing (homes where the government helps pay so rent is cheaper).
• Wilson calls for lawsuit reform aimed at bringing down the costs of owning a home.
• Both support more property tax relief.

But Von Nessen says any long-term fix for housing must also include building a lot more new homes to keep up with South Carolina’s fast-growing population. This means the state would have to work with local towns on:

1. Zoning (rules about what can be built where).
2. Permitting (getting permission to build).
3. Infrastructure reforms (making sure roads, water, and power can support new homes).

He said, "Upward pressure on housing prices is a big part of the affordability challenge," and leaders need to help increase the supply (number) of homes.

Summary

South Carolina’s next governor will be either Republican Alan Wilson or Democrat Jermaine Johnson. Both agree that life is too expensive for many families, but they have different fixes. Wilson wants to cut income and property taxes, reduce government waste, and change lawsuit rules to lower insurance and home costs. Johnson also wants tax cuts and property tax relief, but he adds raising the minimum wage, helping small businesses, and building cheaper government-supported homes. While much of the price hikes come from national trends (like inflation beating wage growth), housing is one place where state leaders can step in by building more homes and working with local governments.

FAQ

1. Who is running for governor in South Carolina?
The two main candidates are Alan Wilson (the Republican nominee and current state Attorney General) and Jermaine Johnson (the Democratic nominee and a state representative for Richland County).

2. Why are prices so high in South Carolina right now?
According to polls and data, the cost of groceries, health care, rent, child care, and homes has gone up a lot since 2017 (houses alone went up 68%). A big reason is national inflation — prices across the country are rising faster than paychecks are growing.

3. What is the main difference between the candidates’ plans?
Wilson focuses mostly on cutting taxes and making the government itself cheaper. Johnson also wants tax cuts but puts a bigger focus on raising the minimum wage for workers and having the government directly invest in cheaper housing.

4. Can the governor actually lower the cost of my groceries?
Not directly. An economist explained that the prices of consumer goods (like food) are mostly controlled by national forces, not state governors. However, the governor can help with housing costs by supporting the building of more homes and offering property tax relief.

5. What is "Act 388" and why does Wilson want to fix it?
Act 388 is a state law related to property taxes. Wilson wants to reform (or fix) it as part of his plan to reduce property taxes and make owning a home more affordable for families.