COLUMBIA, SC – The South Carolina Democratic Party (SCDP) is hitting the road in rural South Carolina. Next week, the Party kicks off a multi-county On-The-Road series with California Governor Gavin Newsom to connect directly with communities that have too often been overlooked by Republicans in power — and too often left to recover alone from economic setbacks and natural disasters.
Governor Newsom will visit some of the most economically challenged and environmentally vulnerable rural counties in South Carolina, including Marion, Chesterfield, Marlboro, Laurens, Pickens, Oconee, Kershaw, and Florence.
“Governor Newsom leads the largest economy in America and the fourth largest in the world, and he’s coming to meet folks in towns that have been hollowed out by decades of Republican control,” said SCDP Chair Christale Spain. “This is about building partnerships, uplifting communities, and showing rural voters they aren’t forgotten.”
Many of the counties Governor Newsom is visiting have experienced serious hardship, from job loss and disinvestment to climate-related disasters like wildfires and Hurricanes. When coupled with lack of investment and attention from our state’s Republican leaders, rural South Carolina gets left behind. Despite holding every statewide office and controlling the legislature for decades, South Carolina Republicans have failed to build a resilient, inclusive economy that works for everyone.
As Governor of the nation’s most populous state, Newsom has delivered real results for working families in rural communities — launching the largest state tax refund in American history, raising the minimum wage, expanding paid family leave, and making two years of community college tuition-free, including career and technical education. He has also established a year of free pre-school for every child (universal transitional kindergarten), provided every public school student with two free meals a day, and expanded access to health care to more low-income residents than ever before. His record shows what’s possible when leaders invest in working families.
On the Road with Governor Newsom demonstrates the South Carolina Democratic Party’s focus on grassroots organizing, local empowerment, and building long-term political infrastructure in every corner of the state.
“Our strategy isn’t about chasing cable news coverage, it’s about showing up and building trust, town by town, county by county, that is our path back to power” said Spain. “We’re proud of the gains we are making but we’re even more focused on what’s ahead.”
