June 3rd, 2010

To read the entire editorial from Sumter’s State Rep. Murrell Smith, click here.

South Carolina is blessed with unlimited, yet untapped, economic potential. One gubernatorial candidate has the vision to tap into our state’s potential and usher in a new era of job creation and economic growth. That candidate is Henry McMaster. And I’m proud to endorse him for governor.

A pro-life, pro-family conservative, Henry is guided by strong Christian faith and conservative principles. After four years as President Ronald Reagan’s first U.S. attorney and nearly eight years as our attorney general, Henry has proven he has the integrity, courage and judgment to lead our state.

But if you want to know what kind of governor Henry will be, look at what kind of attorney general he has been. I know from personal experience. His cooperative leadership style has yielded positive results for South Carolina.

Henry and I worked together in the legislature to pass tough new criminal laws on Internet predators – paving the way for the creation and success of the attorney general’s statewide Internet predator task force. To date the task force of over 50 state and local law enforcement agencies has arrested over 188 predators in sting operations before they were able to harm a child.

Henry also worked together with legislators to crack down on white collar criminals, domestic abusers, drug dealers, illegal animal fighting and gang violence.

While many of us have embraced Henry’s cooperative leadership style, we’ve also been impressed by his courage to stand up for state sovereignty and individual liberty – even when he stood alone.

When President Obama and Washington radicals passed the unconstitutional healthcare bill, Henry fought back. He organized the national fight to overturn ObamaCare. And he sent President Obama a clear message: In South Carolina, we understand the Constitution, and we won’t cede our states’ rights and God-granted personal freedom to Washington politicians.

But experience is not enough. Our next governor must have vision. That’s what distinguishes Henry from everyone else. He has a clear vision of what South Carolina can be: a national leader in job creation and economic growth, where government is limited, accountable and transparent.

Henry laid out his vision in the innovative economic development plan he has released in August called the “Path to Prosperity.” Grounded in conservative free-market principles, the “Path to Prosperity” outlines steps to improve South Carolina’s business climate and expand economic opportunity to every corner of the state. It incorporates input from our brightest economists, entrepreneurs, educators, farmers and small business owners.

Comprehensive tax reform to make taxes lower, fairer and flatter is a critical part of Henry’s plan. The plan also calls for revitalizing our ports system, expanding agribusiness, increasing choice and competition in education, staffing Commerce Department with experienced leadership and training our workforce to compete globally. Economic development will be Henry’s priority and passion as governor.

Like Henry, I’m proud of South Carolina, and I’ve never been more optimistic about our future. We’re on the cusp of a new era of economic prosperity. But it’ll take leadership from a governor who can bring us together to get results. I believe Henry McMaster is uniquely qualified to be South Carolina’s next governor. And I hope you’ll join me in voting for him on June 8.

REP. MURRELL SMITH, Sumter