Simpsonville is the best place that I have lived (and I have lived in eight states in the West, Midwest, and Virginia). That being said, there are a fair number of challenges for South Carolinians that have been neglected by my opponent and the current Republican controlled legislative and executive branches. Unlike my opponent, I am aware of them, and I am committed to addressing them.

Roads and Electrical Utility Rates

SC has the 7th highest rate of rural traffic fatalities, and the 10th highest rate of urban traffic fatalities in the U.S. Greenville and Charleston counties have the highest number of pedestrian and vehicle collisions in the state.

Residential electricity rates have increased by about 8% since 2024, and Duke Energy Carolinas is proposing further increases of about 16% by 2028.

The average residential electricity rate is about 120% higher than that paid by industrial users (and about 54% higher than that paid by commercial users).

Over the last few years, rate increases for residential users have been higher than for industrial and commercial users. Specifically, the current proposed rate increase for residential users is about 46% higher than the proposed increase for industrial (and commercial) users. 

WE CAN DO BETTER!

Affordability

Regardless of what the Republicans say, affordability IS a major issue, especially for young people (especially those with children), seniors, and the poor. 

The cost of buying and renting a home and of home insurance in Simpsonville and Mauldin has increased substantially since 2018 (pre-COVID).

The median cost of a 2-bedroom 1-bath house has increased by about 64% in Simpsonville and 91% in Mauldin.

The rental cost for such a home has risen by about 50% in Simpsonville and 37% in Mauldin. 

The cost of home insurance has increased by about 48% in Simpsonville and 45% in Mauldin. 

Child care costs in Greenville County have risen about 37% since 2018, and the median annual cost of full-time day care in Greenville County is over $10,000 (if you can get in).

Food costs in Greenville County have increased about 33% since 2018.

They increased by about 3.0% in 2025, compared to a 2.5% increase in 2024.

Residential electrical energy rates in Greenville County have increased by about 32% since 2018, while natural gas prices have risen by about 27%, and industrial electrical rates have increased by only about 26%. 

The cost of buying a car in Greenville County has increased about 30% since 2018, while the cost of car insurance has increased by about 53%, and the price of gasoline has increased by about 46%.

The private sector employee share of the cost of family health insurance in SC has increased by about 33%  since 2018.

The in-state tuition for South Carolina public 4-year colleges has increased about 27% since 2018.

With respect to senior living in Greenville County, Medicare premiums have increased 51% since 2018 and the median cost of a private nursing home has increased about 47%.

WE CAN DO BETTER!

Single Parents and Child Care

About 38% of households in Simpsonville, Maudlin, and Fountain Inn have children living at home, and about 30% of these are single-parent households 

Roughly 40% of children in South Carolina are in single-parent households, and the average number of children in single-parent households is about 1.8 children. 

80% of single parents are single mothers.

About 78% of single parents are employed.

The median family income for a single-parent family of 3 is about $35,500, close to the poverty level of $26,650, and far below the financial stress threshold of $65,000 for such a family.

There are about 427,000 children under 13 years of age in SC (the general age limit for the SC Child Care Scholarship program) living in financially stressed households. About 165,000 of these are under the age of 5. Of these, about 151,000 children under 13 and 63,600 children under 5 are in households earning less than the poverty level.

The single largest expense for a single-parent household with children under five years of age is child care (followed by rent).

In SC, the median annual cost for full-time day care is a little over $10,400 (and is a bit higher in Greenville County).

The SC legislature has established the SC ABC Quality Child Care Scholarship program. In 2025, it provided an average of about $9,100 per child to about 31,000 children. The program is currently not accepting new applicants and is only providing scholarships to about 22,000 children. For a family of 3, the income cutoff is about $73,000.

In short, this program provides scholarships to less than 5% of children living in financially stressed households. 

WE CAN DO BETTER!

Education

According to US News and World Report, South Carolina ranks 40th in the nation in K-12 education.

South Carolina ranks 25th in 3rd-grade National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading testing and 42nd in math testing.

South Carolina ranks 41st in 8th-grade NAEP reading testing and 37th in math testing.

NAEP testing of 3rd and 8th-grade reading and mathematics is required for all public schools (but not for private schools).

Roughly 40% of new teachers leave their schools in their first 5 years.

More than 1,000 teaching positions were unfilled in the current school year.

Salaries for teachers with 10 or more years of experience have not kept up with inflation.

56% of SC teachers reported experiencing at least one physical attack at work.

80% of SC teachers reported verbal harassment or threats from students, and 63% from parents.

Disruptive and dangerous student behavior is the number one concern of SC teachers.

24% of SC students are chronically absent.

Poverty has been shown to be the principal predictor of failure in schools.

SC has the 10th highest poverty rate in the nation.

54% of children live in financially stressed households.

SC schools have 1/10 the number of social workers per student as the national average. These social workers are critical to helping families find and receive services that reduce the stress on children and improve their performance in school.

While student mental health is widely recognized as an issue, SC schools have less than half the number of child psychologists per student than the national average.

WE CAN DO BETTER!

The Environment

Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), also known as “forever chemicals,” and microplastics and nanoplastics represent significant threats to our health and especially the health of our children. The state legislature has done very little to address these threats to our health and the environment.

South Carolina permits the burning of biowaste and plastics to generate electrical power. In addition to releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide, it releases highly toxic air pollutants such as particulate matter, heavy metals, dioxins, hydrogen cyanide, greenhouse gases, and others. It also produces large amounts of toxic residual ash that is difficult to effectively dispose of.

WE CAN DO BETTER!

Public Safety

The overall crime rate and the violent crime rate in SC are the 9th highest in the nation.

Our homicide rate is the 14th highest, and our gun homicide rate is the 7th highest in the U.S.

SC has the 6th highest rate of domestic violence in the U.S.

We rank about 17th in the nation with respect to opioid deaths.

There were over 300 victims of human trafficking identified in SC in 2025, and Greenville County led the state in the number of cases. The rate of child deaths due to guns is the 8th highest in the nation. These firearm deaths are now the leading cause of death for children (while motor vehicle deaths is the 2nd leading cause).

WE CAN DO BETTER!

Public Health

Life expectancy in SC is the 9th lowest in the nation.

The number of primary care physicians per 1000 ranks about 35th in the nation.

The maternal mortality rate in SC is the 8th highest in the nation, and 85% to 90% of pregnancy-related deaths in South Carolina are deemed preventable by the state’s Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Review Committee.

The infant mortality rate in SC is the 8th highest in the nation (and has increased over previous years).

The number of OB-GYNs per 1000 women of childbearing age in SC ranks about 34th nationally and has steadily decreased over the last 5 years from 0.62 to 0.57, and a ratio below 0.67 is considered to be inadequate access. The problem is particularly acute in some rural counties where the ratio is essentially 0. 

WE CAN DO BETTER!

Young Adult Unemployment and Income

The overall unemployment rate for Greenville County is about 3.9%.

About 9% of 18–24-year-olds and 5% of 25–30-year-olds are unemployed.

About 11% of 23–30-year-olds have part-time jobs.

The median income for 18–24-year-olds is about $21,000.

WE CAN DO BETTER!

Poverty

South Carolina has the 10th-worst poverty rate in the nation.

South Carolina ranks 38th in the nation with regard to child well-being.

About 35% of households in Greenville County are financially stressed, and about 11% have incomes below the poverty level.

53% of SC children in SC live in financially stressed households.

About 35% of households in Simpsonville and Mauldin, and 42% of households in Fountain Inn are financially stressed (based on the ALICE threshold).

About 6% of households in Simpsonville, 8.4% in Mauldin, and 7.7% in Fountain Inn are below the poverty level. 

SC’s minimum wage of $7.25/hr (or about $14,500 per year, assuming full-time employment) makes it tied for last place in the nation (along with 19 other states).

WE CAN DO BETTER!