COLUMBIA, S.C. — The contest to replace term-limited Gov. Henry McMaster has entered its last two weeks, and both nominees used Monday, the opening day of early voting, to campaign in different corners of South Carolina.
Republican Alan Wilson, the state attorney general, worked the Upstate with a pitch built around affordability. His platform calls for doing away with the state income tax, cutting property taxes, enlarging the power grid and bringing down utility bills. His campaign said it raised more than $2.5 million in the latest quarter, a figure it called a record.
Democrat Jermaine Johnson, a state representative, voted early in Columbia and then headed to the Grand Strand, arguing that decades of one-party control have left voters ready for a change. His campaign reported bringing in about $700,000 over the same quarter.
Gambling has become one of the clearer policy splits. Wilson has parted with some fellow Republicans by publicly backing regulated online sports betting, though he still opposes casinos, in line with his party’s long position. Johnson also supports online sports wagering and goes further, saying he would back brick-and-mortar casinos if voters approve them.
That matters because McMaster’s opposition to gambling has shadowed every recent attempt in the General Assembly to allow sportsbooks or casinos. Those bills have attracted some support from both parties but have not advanced far.
Voters do not have to wait for Nov. 3. Centers for casting a ballot ahead of the general election are open from Oct. 19-31 except Sundays, with hours from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Voters may use any early voting center in their home county and must show a photo ID, then cast a ballot on the same machines used on Election Day.
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