South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson told Newsmax on Thursday that voters should judge his gubernatorial campaign on his record of delivering results, not on endorsements, as he heads into a June 23 Republican runoff against Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette.
Wilson, a Republican who has served as attorney general since 2011, told "National Report" that his experience in law enforcement and public service distinguishes him from Evette in the race to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Henry McMaster.
"First off, I'm a 30-year combat veteran who has led soldiers under hostile conditions. As attorney general, I've been responsible for overseeing the prosecution of thousands of violent criminals, child predators, Mexican drug cartels, corrupt officials," he said.
"Eighty percent of the Republican sheriffs in our state have endorsed me because of what I've done on the front of public safety here in the last 15 years."
Wilson pointed out that as attorney general, he has "recovered over $2 billion on behalf of the state of South Carolina."
"When candidates are talking about cleaning up government, I've already demonstrated the ability to do just that," he said. "I've actually delivered results in South Carolina."
The runoff follows a competitive Republican primary in which Evette emphasized her endorsement from President Donald Trump and her business background.
Asked about the issue most important to voters, Wilson said affordability concerns are dominating conversations across the state.
"At the end of the day, people want their lives better," he said, citing rising housing, utility, grocery and fuel costs.
Wilson said his campaign is focused on lowering costs for residents and increasing accountability in state government.
"I'm not running on any special endorsements. I'm not running on other people's accomplishments," he said.
"I'm running on my record and my desire to make everything that I do as governor ... make living in our state more affordable for South Carolina families."
A central component of Wilson's economic platform is eliminating South Carolina's state income tax.
"Eliminating the income tax is a major plank in my platform," Wilson said, noting South Carolina currently has the highest income tax rate in the Southeast.
While crediting state lawmakers for beginning the process of reducing income taxes, Wilson said he would seek to accelerate those efforts by capping government spending growth to the rate of population growth.
"I think we can get there a little bit faster while controlling government spending," he said.
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