Can a Democrat Win South Carolina? Jermaine Johnson Says the State Needs New Leadership
South Carolina Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dr. Jermaine Johnson discusses his plans for roads, Education, healthcare and other key issues during an exclusive interview with veteran journalist Bob Gatty on the Lean to the Left podcast. To view the interview, click on the image above.
By Bob Gatty
South Carolina Democrats have nominated a candidate who believes voters are ready to turn the page on decades of Republican rule.
Whether they’re ready to do so remains the biggest question in this year’s race for governor.
State Rep. Dr. Jermaine Johnson, the Democratic nominee, acknowledges the political odds. Republicans have controlled virtually every lever of state government for years, and President Donald Trump remains a dominant force in South Carolina Republican politics. Johnson will face Republican Attorney General Alan Wilson, endorsed by Trump, in November’s general election.
Yet Johnson argues that voters are less interested in partisan labels than in problems that have gone unsolved for years.
During an exclusive interview for the Lean to the Left podcast, Johnson repeatedly returned to the same message: after decades of one-party control, South Carolina still ranks among the nation’s worst in road conditions, struggles to adequately fund public education, faces significant healthcare challenges, and continues to lose rural hospitals.
Instead of focusing on national political battles, Johnson emphasized issues that affect families every day.
Among his priorities:
repairing South Carolina’s roads and bridges;
improving public education;
expanding Medicaid to increase healthcare access;
addressing affordable housing;
supporting veterans;
protecting reproductive freedom;
encouraging responsible gun ownership and addressing gun violence, while supporting the 2nd Amendment.
and ensuring that rapidly expanding AI data centers pay their own way instead of shifting costs onto taxpayers.
Tell the Truth
One of Johnson’s sharpest criticisms targeted Republican promises to eliminate South Carolina’s income tax. He argued such proposals simply don’t add up because income taxes account for roughly half of the state’s operating budget.
Johnson also stressed something increasingly rare in politics: he said candidates should tell voters the truth about what government can realistically accomplish instead of making promises they cannot keep. “I think it’s just telling the truth and speaking plain English,” he said.
“I just say all the time, just do what’s right. Let’s just do- what’s right, and it doesn’t matter if you’re Republican or Democrat, Independent, Green Party, whatever it is. Just do what is right. And I think if we do what was, what is right, then all the problems will fall in line,” he added.
Whether that message resonates with enough independent and moderate Republican voters remains to be seen. South Carolina remains a difficult state for Democrats statewide, but Johnson is betting that frustration over roads, schools, healthcare and the state’s direction can overcome long-standing partisan habits.
Regardless of the outcome, his campaign is forcing a conversation about issues that affect every South Carolinian.
For many years, Bob Gatty worked as a writer, editor, and communications consultant, based on the Washington, DC area with a focus on government and politics. He began at The Pittsburgh Courier, an African American weekly, covering crime and the courts. His salary was $55 per week before moving on to two local Pennsylvania dailies. At age 24, he began reporting for United Press International covering state politics in Pennsylvania and then New Jersey, where he was UPI’s state capitol bureau in Trenton.
Tempted by the allure of Washington, DC and big-time politics, at age 29 Bob became press secretary and chief of staff for two Congressmen – first Republican Edwin B. Forsythe, and then Democrat James J. Florio, who later became governor of New Jersey and until his recent death was a frequent podcast guest and co-host of Bob’s NFN Radio News podcast (now called Lean to the Left).
After seven years on Capitol Hill, Bob opened a communications business in Washington, first providing political media consulting to candidates and then freelance Washington coverage for business and trade magazines, plus creative communications services for trade and professional associations, including social media. This work involved articles and analyses of key governmental developments affecting businesses, such as the food and Health industries, retailing, and the environment.
His work as a communications consultant to trade and professional associations included launching and editing association publications, providing website content and social media assistance, and covering conferences and conventions.
Bob retired from G-Net Strategic Communications in 2016 and moved to Myrtle Beach, SC, where he launched his blog site, first called Not Fake News, now known as Lean to the Left.
Hijacked Nation
In August, 2020, Bob and co-author Chris Waldron, one of Lean to the Left's most loyal and prolific contributor, published "Hijacked Nation-Donald Trump's Attack on America's Greatness," a two-volume compilation of blogs regarding Trump's presidency and the consequences for our nation. A followup volume was published by Luna Global Media in September 2024. It is available at https://amzn.to/4ePrTF7 .
In all three volumes, blogs from Not Fake News and Lean to the Left create a virtual play-by-play of key actions of the Trump administration and Congress. For more information, please visit https://leantotheleft.net/books/, and visit Bob's Author's Page on Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/stores/Bob-Gatty/author/B08C7HWXZ5?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=4e603563-7251-4074-b54d-40800c4ce40a.
The Lean to the Left Podcast
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