Standing for Conservative Leadership in South Carolina

Thank you, Rep Bill Chumley

This week, the South Carolina Freedom Caucus offered a clear alternative to business as usual in the South Carolina House of Representatives. Representative Bill Chumley was nominated to challenge incumbent Speaker Murrell Smith, reflecting our commitment to advocating for the conservative values South Carolinians expect from their leaders.

During the nomination speech, SCFC Chairman Jordan Pace highlighted key issues that have been overlooked under the current leadership:

- Closed primaries , a critical reform to protect election integrity, have been filed every year for 18 years without ever receiving a subcommittee hearing.

- South Carolina’s highest-in-the-Southeast taxes , which continue to burden families and small businesses.

- Crony capitalism , such as the $1.3 billion taxpayer-funded giveaway to a foreign electric vehicle manufacturer.

- A struggling education system , where meaningful school choice reforms remain stalled.

It’s telling that every Democrat in the chamber supported Murrell Smith for Speaker. This bipartisan backing reflects a troubling arrangement: under Speaker Smith’s leadership, Democrats have been awarded powerful subcommittee chairmanships on Ways and Means, Judiciary, and Labor, Commerce, and Industry. These committees oversee critical areas like state spending, judicial appointments, and regulatory policy. This arrangement undermines the conservative mandate entrusted to Republican leadership by the people of South Carolina.

While Representative Chumley’s bid for Speaker was unsuccessful, it underscored the need for leadership that prioritizes the people’s mandate over the demands of special interests. The Freedom Caucus will continue to advocate for reforms that include:

- Implementing closed primaries to safeguard election integrity and ensure voters—not special interests—decide the direction of our state.

- Ending taxpayer-funded handouts to woke corporations and focusing on policies that reduce taxes and regulations on all hardworking South Carolinians.

- Restoring conservative control of key committees rather than empowering Democrats to steer the state’s budget and judicial system.

- Cutting wasteful government spending and focusing on core functions of government like infrastructure and delivering justice.

Ethics Committee Election

The same lack of accountability was evident in the election for the House Ethics Committee. Instead of supporting SCFC member Joe White—a principled and ethical leader—Republicans joined Democrats to elect Representative Neal Collins. Collins’s record is deeply troubling:

- He has opposed conservative priorities like school choice, the Save Women’s Sports bill, and Constitutional Carry.

- He campaigned last month for a Democrat who successfully won an open state Senate seat, actively working against conservative leadership.

- He has taken money from the state’s teacher union, raising questions about his loyalty to Republican principles.

These actions stand in direct opposition to the values South Carolinians expect from their elected leaders.

Call to Action

We urge South Carolinians to contact their representatives and ask:

- Did they vote for Murrell Smith for Speaker, knowing it sustains Democratic control over key subcommittees?

- Did they support Neal Collins for the Ethics Committee, and if so, why?

The Freedom Caucus remains steadfast in its commitment to accountability, transparency, and principled leadership in the South Carolina General Assembly. Closed primaries will be our top priority this session, and we are eager to work alongside grassroots leaders to ensure this long-overdue reform is finally enacted. Together, we can advance conservative reforms that reflect the will of the people—not the preferences of special interests or partisan insiders.

The road ahead is clear: it’s time to deliver real conservative results for South Carolina.