“We're going to win this race,” said Congressman and gubernatorial candidate Ralph Norman this Monday morning to a packed crowd that filled the parking lot in front of Majesty Music on Wade Hampton Boulevard.
The occasion was the announcement of his running mate, Adam Morgan, a former member of the state legislature and current director of Majesty Music, a Christian publishing business. Norman described the duo as “the most conservative ticket for governor.”
“Can we continue with another eight or sixteen years of failed leadership, of crumbling roads, of corruption from elected officials, from inaction, from rabid liberal appointments who threaten your most foundational liberties?” asked Morgan.
“Together we will cut wasteful spending, we're going to fix our roads and bridges, we are going to reform our judicial system, we're going to make this state affordable again,” Norman promised.
Norman was enthusiastic about his choice for running mate. “He represents the future for true conservatism in South Carolina,” he said.
“What exactly does the lieutenant governor do?” Morgan asked rhetorically. “If you look at our current one, you would think 'nothing,'” he answered to much laughter. He said that the lieutenant governor can use the office as a bully pulpit to advance the cause of the governor.
Norman has great confidence in his pick. “It will be great to cut him loose all over South Carolina,” he said, adding, “I'm comfortable with him going anywhere, anytime to talk to people.” Norman, who is very concerned about the condition of the roads and bridges in the Palmetto State, plans to make Morgan his road czar if he is elected.
One thing that Norman and Morgan have in common is their association with the Freedom Caucus. Norman is currently a member of Congress, and Morgan was a member of the state Freedom Caucus when he was in the legislature. He chose not to run for reelection to his seat in the House in 2024 in order to make a run for Congress, which he narrowly lost to the incumbent, William Timmons. The Freedom Caucus takes a more conservative stand on issues than most other Republicans.
What does the Freedom Caucus do? “We actually comb through the budget, we ask tough questions, much to the consternation of the establishment,” said Morgan, adding that the establishment has spent almost a million dollars to try to unseat his fellow Freedom Caucus members. In addition to doing battle politically, Norman said that the fight is also a spiritual battle.
Caucus members present at the announcement were Alan Morgan, Dianne Mitchell, Stephen Frank, Lee Gilreath, Josiah Magnuson, Bill Chumley, Sarita Edgerton, Jay Kilmartin, and Jackie Terribile. Morgan noted that almost every member in the caucus has endorsed Norman.
Morgan said that Norman has led the Freedom Caucus in Congress, affecting conservative wins in that body. Additionally, according to Morgan, Norman helped to get a public voting board put up in the legislature while he was a state legislator.
“That alone fundamentally changed this state and brought transparency,” said Morgan. “It's the reason most of these Freedom Caucus members actually were elected because people could see how members were actually voting.”
Speaking of current Governor Henry McMaster, Norman said, “The governor loves South Carolina, I'll give him that. We're just worlds apart.”
Yet he also expressed some criticism. “We cannot stand 16 more years of ineffective cronyism establishment,” he said, referring to a scenario in which his opponent, current lieutenant governor Pam Evette, wins the governorship and then wins a second four-year term, after which her rumored running mate, Henry McMaster, Jr., then wins two terms. “We are anti-establishment,” he added.
Norman was also critical of the Republican McMaster's appointment of Brannon Traxler, who supported Democrat Joe Biden and other Democratic candidates, to be the acting director of the South Carolina Department of Public Health.
“Day One she will be gone,” said Norman, adding, “There will be no more shutdowns in South Carolina. There will be no more so-called viruses from the WHO (World Health Organization), which is controlled by China.”
And speaking of Republicans in the legislature, Norman noted, “They campaign on less government, less taxes, less regulations; they get up there, they morph into something else. I'm going to call them out.”
