I’ve never been one to back down when the going gets tough. When I see something wrong, I have to say something or do something… even when everyone expects me to sit down and stay quiet.
When I was elected to the state legislature, I discovered something alarming. Many important votes weren’t on record. If you wanted to see how your local representative voted on a bill, you couldn’t. There was no transparency. No accountability.
The more I looked into it, the more outrageous it was. South Carolina was dead last in the country in terms of legislative voting transparency. The creation of whole new government agencies, tax exemptions, and regulations on buildings and businesses were becoming law without any accountability on the part of the lawmakers.
I even watched members vote themselves retirement pay increases by voice vote — and then never have to admit to the voters what they did.
It was absurd. And it was time for a change.
So I took a stand. I introduced legislation to make important votes in the legislature on the record.
It was a tough fight. Most of my fellow legislators liked the status quo just fine. They tried to bully me into giving up, even taking away my committee positions. But that just made me want to fight harder. So I did.
I took the issue to the people. I made sure they knew the facts. For example, in 2008, only 8% of votes in the SC House were on the record for taxpayers to see. The people of my state were horrified, and they used the power of their voices to demand legislators support my bill.
When I became governor, it was one of the first bills I signed into law. At the bill signing ceremony, I blasted Pat Benatar’s “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” from the capitol speakers. I hope my opponents got the message. You can hit me with your best shot, but I’m going to keep fighting for what’s right.
As we look to the November election, I know there will be tough fights. Democrats are already doing everything they can to attack and discredit Republicans. They’re willing to put it all on the line, and it’s up to us to fight fire with fire.
When the Left launches attacks against strong conservatives, we can’t back down. We must keep fighting. That’s why I’m asking for your help. We need the funds to combat the Left and elect conservatives in key battleground races. As Pat Benatar says:
“Knock me down, it's all in vain, I get right back up on my feet again!”
If you want to join me in building a coalition of conservatives and fighting the tough fights, pitch in a donation today.
My very best,
