We need to fully fund road improvement in this state, and it needs to focus on the roads with the highest number of accidents and deaths.

We need to more fairly distribute energy costs between residential, commercial, and industrial users.

We need to identify the most effective ways to increase the capacity and cost-effectiveness of our electrical energy grid, and our measures of effectiveness need to include the associated social and environmental impacts. This will require an understanding of both existing and new energy-related technologies.

Public schools play an essential role in developing citizens that are able to work cooperatively with diverse groups of people to meet the social, technical challenges, economic, and environmental challenges that face our state and nation. It is clear to me that public school teachers are the most important professionals in our state and that they are underappreciated.

They have the education and experience to help us identify the best ways to improve public education. As such, I am committed to working to implement the recommendations in the 2026 Palmetto State Teachers Association’s FOCUS Policy Agenda.

We need to have policies that improve the lives of families and effectively address the principal challenges they face. This is especially true for single-parent families.

The problem of the availability and affordability of child care is one that affects both the middle class and the poor. We need to implement policies that effectively address this problem. Fully funding the SC ABC Quality Child Care Scholarship program would be a good start.

We need to protect the quality of our air and water and of our forests and croplands. We need to prioritize environmental issues that affect the health and quality of life of all South Carolinians.

We need to implement policies that make sure that power plants and data centers do not adversely affect people or the environment. We also need to implement policies that reduce the presence of “forever chemicals” and microplastics and nanoplastics in our food and water.

Public schools play an essential role in developing citizens that are able to work cooperatively with diverse groups of people to meet the social, technical challenges, economic, and environmental challenges that face our state and nation. It is clear to me that public school teachers are the most important professionals in our state and that they are underappreciated.

They have the education and experience to help us identify the best ways to improve public education. As such, I am committed to working to implement the recommendations in the 2026 Palmetto State Teachers Association’s FOCUS Policy Agenda.

Public Safety

We need to provide law enforcement and other emergency responders the training and resources required to better meet the needs of their communities.

We also need legislation that does a better job of addressing violent crime, domestic violence, and human trafficking.

Public Health:

We need legislation that will encourage more primary care physicians and OBGYNs to come to our state and will provide adequate health care to rural areas.

Small Business

Small businesses are the cornerstone of our economy, especially here in Simpsonville, Mauldin, and Fountain Inn. We need to ensure that public policy provides a level playing field for all small businesses and that it does not unfairly support special interests.

We also need to ensure that our workforce is able to meet the needs of small businesses.

Young Adults and Seniors

We need to find and implement effective policies to help young adults find satisfying jobs.

We also need to find and implement effective policies to reduce costs associated with senior living.

Science-Based Policy and Accountability

We need to base public policy on shared values and supported by data and not on political opinion. I will research solutions and seek out and listen to the advice of experts in engineering and the physical, biological, and social sciences regarding the impact of proposed legislation on people, businesses, the environment, and our state’s economy.

We need to have periodic data-based reviews of how effectively current state programs are achieving their goals and whether the goals are still relevant. If the goals are still relevant, but existing programs are falling short of those goals, we need to look for changes in funding or policy that will make them effective.