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by WILL FOLKS
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Talk is cheap in the political world. And in South Carolina, it is essentially worthless. Every election cycle, “Republican” politicians position themselves before GOP primary voters as “conservatives” – only to whore themselves out to the bureaucratic state and/or the highest corporate bidder the second they are sworn into office.
It’s depressing… but even more depressing is the perpetual failure enabled by such hypocritical status quo subservience.
On every metric that matters, South Carolina is failing to live up to its potential. Our jobs, incomes, schools, roads, bridges, courts… none of them are what they should be, all because so-called “conservatives” have chosen to govern corruptly and spend profligately.
Only a small number of elected leaders in the Palmetto State have proven willing to oppose the graft and stand up to the status quo. One of those elected officials is Wes Climer. A third-term senator from Rock Hill, S.C., Climer is a rare example of a South Carolina Republican whose campaign promises – and voting record – are consistently in alignment.
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In addition to being one of the few bona fide conservatives who votes in the interest of individual taxpayers, Climer also takes concrete steps to hold his colleagues accountable for their votes. Exhibit A? His high-profile (and highly successful) bid to block an unconstitutional pay raise lawmakers approved for themselves earlier this year.
When the S.C. supreme court ruled in his favor (stopping lawmakers from padding their wallets in violation of their oaths of office), Climer noted the constitutional principle lawmakers trampled over was “worth fighting to protect.”
He’s 100% correct… it’s just a shame he was the only lawmaker willing to fight for it.
Previously, Climer led the fight to expose wasteful pork barrel spending in the state budget – another lonely but important fight that drew the ire of many of his establishment “Republican” colleagues. He was also one of the only lawmakers willing to take a principled stand against the Palmetto State’s corrupt judicial selection process.
Climer isn’t perfect, obviously. While he scored the highest of any senator on a recent report card issued by the ultra-conservative American Action Fund, he’s cast a few votes I’m not wild about – including a controversial 2019 handout for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers.
That blemish aside, the 42-year-old financial planner has been the real deal… one of the only Republicans in state government capable of running on (not from) their record.
Climer could be campaigning on his stellar record sooner than expected, too. With U.S. fifth congressional district representative Ralph Norman preparing to dive into the 2026 South Carolina governor’s race, Climer is viewed as one of the most likely candidates to replace him in Washington, D.C.
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RELATED | SUPREME COURT BLOCKS LEGISLATIVE PAY RAISE
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Would he run for congress after Norman declared his gubernatorial candidacy?
”We obviously need more conservative fighters at all levels of government who can put points on the board for the America first agenda,” Climer told FITSNews this week. ”That’s what I’ve done at the State House and I’m thinking very seriously about taking that fight to Washington, D.C.”
Won by future Donald Trump chief of staff Mick Mulvaney in 2010, the fifth district has remained in GOP hands ever since – although Norman nearly lost it in a special election in 2017. According to the Cook Political Report‘s Partisan Voting Index (PVI), the district currently leans +11 toward Republicans – down from +12 in 2023.
Bordering North Carolina, the fifth district is home to the fast-growing Rock Hill and Fort Mill areas – and other southern suburbs of Charlotte. It includes all of Cherokee, Chester, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lancaster, Lee, Union and York counties – and parts of Spartanburg and Sumter counties.
Count on this media outlet to keep close tabs on Climer’s future plans… and in the event he does decide to run, don’t be surprised if we look upon his bid favorably. With so many fake conservatives rising through the ranks of the SCGOP, Climer’s ascension would represent a refreshing departure.
Washington needs more Republican lawmakers who’ve shown they can walk the walk, not just talk the talk.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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