SCMC 2026 Primary Election Candidate Questionnaire
As part of SCMC’s commitment to keeping South Carolina’s business community informed, candidates seeking open constitutional offices in this year’s Republican and Democratic primaries were invited to answer a series of questions on issues important to our members and the state’s long-term economic competitiveness. Candidate responses are below and organized by office, with candidates listed in alphabetical order.
Candidates for governor were not provided with a questionnaire, as they had the opportunity to present their platforms and engage directly with our members during SCMC’s Gubernatorial Forum in April.
Responses are published as submitted by each candidate. Each candidate for each office was provided with the same questions. In some cases, candidates chose to address the topics raised in the questionnaire using their own format.
Attorney General
Stephen Goldfinch (Republican)
1. What is the most important job of the Attorney General?
To enforce the law and protect the people of South Carolina. That means holding criminals accountable, defending our state from federal overreach, and ensuring justice is applied fairly and consistently
2. Do you support continuing work on comprehensive tort reform? How will you partner with the business community?
Yes. I was directly involved in those efforts and worked alongside leaders in the business community to move meaningful reforms forward, even in a challenging environment.
As Attorney General, I’ll continue to support tort reform, but I believe the most effective approach is tackling it issue by issue rather than through one massive bill. I’ll work closely with those most impacted, like job creators and small businesses, while keeping special interest influence out of the process.
And when these reforms are challenged, I will defend them aggressively to protect both our business climate and the everyday South Carolinians who benefit from a fair, predictable legal system.
3. What role should the Attorney General play in making South Carolina business-friendly?
The Attorney General plays a critical role, especially through the civil and administrative divisions.
I practice administrative law and regularly take on government agencies and overreaching regulations. That experience matters. Too often, federal policies create unnecessary burdens that hurt businesses and limit growth.
As Attorney General, I’ll push back against those overreaches and fight to make South Carolina one of the most business-friendly states in the country. I’ve built and run businesses myself, including in highly regulated industries, so I understand firsthand that compliance costs can be just as damaging as taxes. I’ll be an advocate for cutting through that red tape.
4. What are the most dangerous public safety threats, and how will you address them?
Violent crime, fentanyl, and internet crimes against children.
First, we have a backlog of violent crime cases across the state. When cases drag on for years, evidence weakens, victims are re-traumatized, and criminals end up back on the street. That’s unacceptable. I will work with the General Assembly to expand resources, deploy regional prosecution teams, and clear that backlog.
Second, fentanyl is killing our citizens at an alarming rate. I will expand the use of the statewide grand jury to target traffickers operating across county lines and aggressively pursue charges like homicide by fentanyl to hold dealers fully accountable.
Third, we must continue and strengthen the work of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Protecting our kids is non-negotiable, and I will ensure that effort remains a top priority.
5. What experience prepares you to manage the Attorney General’s office?
I’ve led in high-pressure environments where the stakes were far higher than politics.
As a military prosecutor and JAG officer, I served as Chief of Military Justice for U.S. Africa Command in a combat zone. I managed large teams, prosecuted serious offenses, and advised senior military leadership on national security and operational law.
I’ve run organizations under pressure, made tough decisions, and delivered results. That experience translates directly to leading a statewide office and ensuring it operates effectively, efficiently, and with accountability.
6. When would you join multi-state lawsuits against federal agencies?
When it’s in the best interest of South Carolina.
If a federal agency’s actions harm our citizens, our economy, or our businesses, I will take action. That includes challenging regulations that are arbitrary, overreaching, or unlawful.
I’ve already been involved in cases against agencies like the EPA, HHS, NOAA, and the Corps of Engineers, seeking relief under the Administrative Procedures Act. I understand how these cases work and how to win them.
As Attorney General, I’ll use every available tool to defend South Carolina’s interests and push back when Washington oversteps.
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David Stumbo (Republican)
1. What is the most important job of the Attorney General?
The most important responsibility of the Attorney General is protecting the people of South Carolina by enforcing the law, defending the Constitution, and ensuring justice is applied fairly and consistently. South Carolinians deserve an Attorney General who will aggressively prosecute violent criminals, support law enforcement, defend victims’ rights, and uphold the rule of law without political agendas. The Attorney General must also serve as the state’s chief legal officer by defending South Carolina’s laws and constitutional principles against federal overreach and outside interference.
2. Passing tort reform is a high priority for the business community because it makes our legal system fair and predictable and ensures it does not deter businesses from taking job-creating, innovative risks. Last year, despite strong opposition, the business community worked with the governor and policymakers to take a step forward on legal reform. Do you support continuing this work to pass comprehensive tort reform? How will you partner with the business community to continue reforming South Carolina’s legal system?
Yes. I support meaningful tort reform that both protects legitimate victims of bad actors while also ensuring that South Carolina maintains a fair, balanced, and predictable legal climate for businesses, job creators, healthcare providers, and community organizations.
South Carolina must remain a state where businesses can grow and invest without fear of abusive lawsuits or unfair legal exposure. Frivolous litigation drives up costs for consumers, hurts small businesses, increases insurance premiums, and discourages economic investment.
As Attorney General, I would work alongside the business community, legislators, and stakeholders to identify areas where reforms can improve fairness, transparency, and accountability within our legal system while preserving access to justice for those who have truly been harmed. We must strike the right balance between protecting constitutional rights and ensuring our courts are not misused in ways that hurt economic growth and opportunity.
3. What role, if any, do you see the attorney general playing in making South Carolina a place where business can thrive?
Public safety and economic prosperity go hand in hand. Businesses cannot thrive in communities where violent crime is out of control, drugs are destroying neighborhoods, and families do not feel safe.
The Attorney General plays a critical role by supporting law enforcement, aggressively prosecuting violent offenders, combating organized crime and fentanyl trafficking, and ensuring the rule of law is upheld across South Carolina. A stable legal and regulatory environment also gives businesses confidence to invest and expand.
In addition, the Attorney General should work to ensure South Carolina’s are enforced fairly and consistently while partnering with policymakers and the private sector to maintain a legal climate that encourages innovation, entrepreneurship, and job creation.
4. What are the most dangerous public safety threats South Carolinians face, and how will you focus on mitigating them to make South Carolina safer for families and communities as the next attorney general?
South Carolina families are facing serious threats from violent crime, fentanyl and opioid trafficking, human trafficking, gang activity, cybercrime, and needs
- Aggressively prosecuting violent criminals and repeat offenders
- Expanding efforts to combat fentanyl trafficking and organized drug operations
- Fighting human trafficking and protecting vulnerable children
- Strengthening partnerships between state, local, and federal law enforcement agencies
- Defending victims’ rights and ensuring criminals are held accountable
I have spent my career fighting crime in the courtroom, not talking about it from the sidelines, and I will bring that same tough-on-crime approach to the Attorney General’s Office.
5. What specific experience has prepared you to manage a statewide Attorney General office with hundreds of attorneys and investigators?
I have spent more than two decades as a prosecutor serving the people of South Carolina and have served as the elected Solicitor for the Eighth Judicial Circuit for the past 14 years In that role, I oversee complex criminal prosecutions, manage attorneys and staff, work closely with law enforcement agencies, and administer the operations of a large public office serving multiple counties. So running a large four county executive I very branch agency for over a decade and managing that operation including prosecutors, investigators and victim advocates has uniquely prepared me to run a statewide prosecution office.
Throughout my career, I have personally prosecuted hundreds of criminal cases, including some of the most serious violent crimes and death penalty cases in our state. I have also served in leadership roles statewide, including as President of the South Carolina Solicitors’ Association, where I worked collaboratively with prosecutors, legislators, judges, and law enforcement leaders across South Carolina.
Leading the Attorney General’s Office requires proven courtroom experience, executive leadership, sound judgment, and the ability to build strong partnerships. My experience as a career prosecutor and elected Solicitor has prepared me to lead from day one.
6. Under what circumstances would you join multi-state lawsuits against federal agencies – and what standard would guide that decision?
As Attorney General, my guiding principle would be simple: I will always defend the Constitution, the rule of law, and the best interests of the people of South Carolina.
I would support joining multi-state litigation when the federal government exceeds its constitutional authority, imposes unlawful regulations, infringes upon states’ rights, threatens public safety, or harms South Carolina’s economy, businesses, or citizens.
If Washington oversteps its authority, South Carolina deserves an Attorney General who is willing to stand up and fight back. When our state’s citizens as consumers are negatively impacted by bad policy and actions of large corporate entities, we will work together with other state AGs using court actions when necessary to correct these issues acting in the best interests of the people of South Carolina.
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Agriculture Commissioner
Jeremy Cannon (Republican)
1. What is the most important job of the Commissioner of Agriculture?
I believe the most important roll of the Commissioner of Agriculture is in market creation, recruitment and retention. Without markets, the industry falls flat on its face and everyone suffers. Farmers, ranchers, and timber producers need places to sell what they produce. It stabilizes the market, providing income, price stability and food security. This helps all consumers as well on this front. Food security is national security but more importantly local security. Knowing that our food is safely grown and local is essential for survival and guarantees our dollars stay in state. Our current administration has been terrible at this and it’s a major factor in me running for office; we’ve lost our only soybean crushing plant in Kershaw, ADM, in 2025 and 13 paper/wood mills in 3 years.
2. What specific experience has prepared you to manage a statewide office with hundreds of employees?
I have been the chairman of an 18 person church board for multiple cycles with an over $500,000 budget, where multiple interests and funding had to be wisely allocated.
I have also managed the family farm for over two decades, the last 10 years navigating through the most difficult decisions caused by natural disasters, drought, flood and hurricanes. I’ve managed every part or done nearly every job that is under the umbrella of SCDA. I’ve been the CEO and CFO, PR and HR, I’ve been in charge of food safety audits and the accountant for our farm, as well as any other job you can imagine. We’ve had over 70 employees here at times and I am prepared for the task.
3. What do you see as the Department of Agriculture’s role in economic development?
SCDA should lead the charge in economic development. Agriculture is our number one industry and we have to keep it that way. We don’t do this by maintaining what we have only, we must push for the future. We have a state full of resources, land, water, labor, knowledge and experience in the agricultural industry and I believe we are second to none in that regard but we need a leader who has been there and can speak the language and convince companies that we are the best place for their business. I have already done this; I flew to Canada in 2017 by myself as a farmer and recruited an international company to come to SC and buy from local growers. That business has ballooned to 10 buyers and it’s a $5 million revenue generator annually for our state. No other candidate can say that.
4. What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing South Carolina agriculture over the next decade, and how do you plan to address it?
Our biggest challenge is sustainability. We have to protect and promote our farms and our products, not out of state or foreign. We have to preserve the land, which I firmly believe in the conservation land trusts. We have to protect our local farms and businesses, which I will do through expansion of our local SC grown initiative. We have to fix infrastructure, processing and distribution to allow greater access of our products to our consumers. We are going to pull back on the red tape that are causing businesses to struggle to compete and enter the market.
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Danny Lee Ford II (Republican)
1. What is the most important job of the Commissioner of Agriculture?
The most important job as Commissioner of Agriculture is to lead with experience. For far too long, policymakers have been writing policy from behind a desk. Our farmers and our state are struggling and we have to do things differently. Being accessible to the people who have put you in office and never forgetting you represent them.
2. What specific experience has prepared you to manage a statewide office with hundreds of employees?
My experience is unique in that I am not a member of the political establishment. I am also not a CEO. However, SC desperately needs a leader not a CEO or career politician. Politicians continue to fail us and our leadership is lacking. I will lead the Department of Agriculture with new eyes, innovative policies, reducing burdensome red tape, building community cohesiveness, accountability, transparency, authenticity and passion for the future of our land, food and families.
I watched my father lead hundreds of men for decades. In fact, he became that leader at a time when most said he wasn’t “experienced enough”. However, he knew how to build a team, worked harder than anyone, had a common goal and not only was successful but brought an entire state along with them. He put Clemson on the map. It is in my DNA. It is time that South Carolina returns to the top again.
3. What do you see as the Department of Agriculture’s role in economic development?
Agribusiness (including agriculture and forestry) is South Carolina’s largest industry, generating an annual economic impact of $51.8 billion. Agriculture is a key industry for South Carolina; it will always have a tremendous economic impact on the state as a whole. However, we cannot afford to ignore the lack of sustainability/profitability for small local businesses at the expense of “economic development”. The Department of Agriculture must have a “BOTH/AND” approach. It is not good business to prioritize recruitment into the state while South Carolina businesses and farms at home are going bankrupt. As a state, we are not helping our current growers and ranchers ensure they are profitable. When SC farmers thrive, individuals, families and businesses do as well!
4. What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing South Carolina agriculture over the next decade, and how do you plan to address it?
Making farming more accessible, profitable and appealing. We are losing farmers and farmland at record numbers. This epidemic requires a holistic approach: early education, increased access and funding to school programs, grants for young farmers that provide opportunities to own land and mentorship, land conservation and smart development, making buying local more accessible to consumers and profitable by addressing unnecessary regulatory burdens for growers and ranchers (i.e., mobile butchers). Working with universities to prioritize job creation for our students in agriculture and forestry at our state schools to stay in our state.
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Cody Simpson (Republican)
1. What is the most important job of the Commissioner of Agriculture?
The most important responsibility of the Commissioner of Agriculture is to protect and strengthen South Carolina’s agricultural economy. This includes ensuring farmers have the support they need, promoting South Carolina‑grown products, safeguarding the integrity of agricultural markets, and strengthening the state’s food systems and infrastructure. The role also involves regulatory oversight, consumer protection, and coordination with state and federal partners. At its core, the Commissioner’s job is to ensure that agriculture remains safe, competitive, and economically beneficial for the entire state. I am a fifth-generation farmer who understands firsthand the rising costs, the labor challenges, the regulatory burdens, and the uncertainty that too many of our producers face. Following service as Governor McMaster’s Agricultural Advisor, I was appointed by President Trump and served as the South Carolina Executive Director of the USDA Farm Service Agency. My unique education, knowledge and work experience – not just from behind a desk but also from the cab of a tractor and in the fields of South Carolina – best position me to fulfill the important duties of the Commissioner of Agriculture.
2. What specific experience has prepared you to manage a statewide office with hundreds of employees?
I have several experiences that demonstrate preparation for leading a large statewide agency. As a trusted appointee of President Trump, I most recently served in the Trump Administration as the South Carolina Executive Director of the USDA Farm Service Agency, a role that required administering major federal agricultural programs and coordinating with county offices across the state. I also served as Governor McMaster’s Agriculture Advisor and advised the Governor on agricultural issues, including policy development, interagency coordination, and statewide agricultural planning. Additionally, I am a fifth-generation row crop farmer. While I am grateful for my undergraduate and master’s degrees from Francis Marion University, nothing educates you like working the fields of South Carolina. My unique background in agricultural operations and agribusiness provides firsthand understanding of the needs of producers and rural communities. These roles collectively involve managing complex programs, working with large teams, and navigating state and federal systems experience relevant to overseeing a department with hundreds of employees.
3. What do you see as the Department of Agriculture’s role in economic development?
Agriculture is a major economic driver for South Carolina, and the Department of Agriculture plays a central role in that growth. The department supports agribusiness expansion, strengthens supply chains, and helps attract new processing, manufacturing, and distribution facilities to the state. It also promotes South Carolina‑grown products to expand market opportunities and provides resources that help farmers and rural communities remain competitive. By supporting innovation, improving infrastructure, and ensuring regulatory stability, the department contributes directly to job creation, rural development, and long‑term economic vitality. South Carolina’s pulpwood crisis stems from a collapse in markets and insufficient mill capacity, leaving landowners unable to profitably thin timber. The solution requires aggressively recruiting new wood‑product industries such as pellet plants, paper mills, biomass facilities, and other manufacturers to rebuild demand and restore a viable market. Strengthening transportation and infrastructure is also essential so timber producers can move product efficiently through improved fuel costs, trucking, rail access, and port connectivity.
4. What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing South Carolina agriculture over the next decade, and how do you plan to address it?
There are several long‑term challenges for South Carolina agriculture including supply‑chain vulnerabilities, aging infrastructure, pressure on farmland and rural communities, and the need for stronger in‑state processing capacity. Rising costs and the need for modernization also appear as recurring concerns. Addressing these issues typically involves strengthening local processing and distribution systems, investing in rural infrastructure, expanding market access for farmers, and supporting innovation through research and technical assistance. Coordinating with state and federal partners to improve resilience and ensure farmers have the tools they need is also an important part of meeting the challenges ahead. As the former Agricultural Advisor to the Governor, a trusted appointee of President Trump, and President Trump’s endorsed candidate in this race – I offer a unique ability to directly coordinate with the necessary leaders and agencies to solve the biggest challenges facing South Carolina agriculture and grow a long-term, sustainable, and prosperous future for the industry.
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Fred West (Republican)
What is your name?
My name is Fred West, and I am a Republican candidate for South Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture.
What is your occupation?
I am a businessman, conservative leader, and advocate for South Carolina agriculture and rural communities.
Why are you running?
I am running because I believe South Carolina needs strong conservative leadership that will fight for our farmers, protect our agricultural heritage, and strengthen the future of rural communities. Agriculture is the backbone of our state, and I want to ensure that family farms, small producers, and agribusinesses have the support they need to succeed for generations to come. I also believe the Department of Agriculture should focus on promoting South Carolina-grown products, protecting farmland, and standing up for the people who feed and fuel our state.
How do you plan to strengthen family farms in the state?
I want to strengthen family farms by reducing unnecessary regulations, expanding access to markets, promoting “Certified South Carolina” products, and ensuring farmers have a voice in Columbia. I believe we must protect farmland from overdevelopment, invest in agricultural education, and create opportunities for the next generation to stay in farming. Small and family-owned farms are critical to our economy and way of life, and I will work to make sure they remain competitive and profitable.
With an ongoing drought threatening farms across the state, how do you plan to protect small farmers when disaster strikes?
When disaster strikes, small farmers cannot be left behind. I will work to improve coordination between state and federal resources so farmers can access relief quickly and efficiently. We must strengthen water infrastructure, expand drought preparedness efforts, and advocate for emergency assistance programs that help farmers recover without excessive red tape. I also believe South Carolina should take a proactive approach to protecting our agricultural industry from future disasters by supporting conservation practices and long-term water management solutions.
What sets you apart from your opponents?
One of the biggest challenges facing South Carolina agriculture is keeping farming financially sustainable for the next generation. Too many family farms are struggling with rising costs, labor shortages, rapid development, workforce shortages, and excessive regulations that make it harder to compete and pass family farms down to the next generation.
I’ve said many times that South Carolina doesn’t have a farming problem—we have a business problem. Farmers are some of the hardest working people in the world, but if they cannot remain profitable, we will continue losing farmland and family operations across our state.
We need a long-term approach focused on protecting and growing agriculture in South Carolina. That means preserving farmland, reducing unnecessary government regulations, expanding workforce development, improving infrastructure, and creating stronger partnerships between agriculture, education, and manufacturing industries.
I also believe we must invest in agricultural technology, education, and processing capabilities so more products can be grown, processed, and manufactured right here in South Carolina. By taking a business-minded, results-driven approach, we can strengthen our economy, create jobs, and ensure agriculture remains a cornerstone of South Carolina for generations to come.
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SC Comptroller General
Bruce Cole (Democrat)
1. What is the most important job of the Comptroller General?
The Comptroller General’s current role is distinct: it is about the integrity of the numbers, the accuracy of the records, and the independence of the financial reporting function. When the Comptroller General says the books balance, the bond markets believe it. When the Comptroller General certifies that a payment is lawful, the check goes out. When the Comptroller General identifies a discrepancy, it gets investigated and resolved. But I see the role as being that and more. I want the Comptroller General to be South Carolina’s Chief Financial Officer…not just a “bean counter” but a strategic partner with all the state’s agencies. This involves not only ensuring the integrity of the financial information, but also minimizing risk and helping each agency deliver quantifiable public value to the taxpayers we all serve.
2. What specific experience has prepared you to manage the Comptroller General’s Office?
There is no one specific experience that has prepared me to lead the Comptroller General Office. My preparation results from a great educational foundation and the cumulative experiences of many opportunities during my career that have given me the skills, perspective and judgement to handle this complex job. In addition to a Masters Degree in Accounting from Northeastern University, I have an MBA in Finance from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in Planning from Clemson. These wonderful institutions have provided me with the analytic tools and exposed me to the best practices for building a culture of excellence in an organization such as the CGO. In addition, my broad career in business operations and finance provides me with a depth of understanding of the strategies available for creating public value under conditions of uncertainty. For example, I led a department of 75 technicians for AT&T. We supported more than 100 clients in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area, including the San Francisco 49’ers, the original Bank of America, Bechtel, and many others. I learned how to support my client’s various agendas with a set of diminishing resources. As Chief Financial Officer of the Boston Public Library, I was responsible for an asset portfolio worth more than a billion dollars as well as library’s accounting, budget, purchasing, and logistics teams. I learned how to navigate different public and private governance agendas and styles (e.g., Board of Trustees, Foundation Board, City Council, Mayor’s office, Friends of the Library, etc.) while steering the organization towards a more customer-friendly culture and, at the same time, converting to a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) software system. These and many other educational and career experiences in Boston, Silicon Valley, New York and South Carolina have prepared me for this moment.
3. Following recent, highly publicized financial reporting challenges in state government, what actions would you take to restore public confidence in the state’s financial systems and reporting?
First, I would lead an effort to modernize the State’s financial systems. South Carolina’s accounting infrastructure was built for a different era. We are running twenty-first-century government on twentieth-century systems. I will lead a rigorous, transparent technology modernization initiative, prioritizing open-source and cloud-based solutions where appropriate, ensuring interoperability across state agencies, and building in the kind of real-time reporting capabilities that allow citizens, legislators, and agency heads to see how money is flowing at any given moment. This is not a luxury. It is a prerequisite for honest government.
Second, I will strengthen internal controls. As an auditor and a CFO, I have seen what happens when financial controls are allowed to decay: small irregularities become large ones, poor practices become embedded culture, and eventually, the public gets hurt. I will implement a systematic review of the state’s internal control framework, identify vulnerabilities, and build remediation plans with clear timelines and clear accountability. No more closing the barn door after the horse has bolted.
Third, I will use data analytics to support better governance. I have spent years using data to model governance, identify inefficiencies, and drive better decisions. The Comptroller General’s office sits at the intersection of every major financial flow in state government. That data, properly analyzed, is a gold mine of insight about where waste is occurring, where programs are underperforming, where investment is needed, and where savings can be realized. I will build an analytical capacity in this office that has never existed before.
4. How do you view the working relationship between the Comptroller General’s Office, the State Treasurer’s Office, and the State Auditor, and how would you ensure effective coordination and accountability between the offices?
I will make the CGO a partner, not just a regulator. State agencies often see the Comptroller General’s office as a source of compliance headaches and payment delays. I want to change that dynamic. I want this office to be a resource for agencies that are trying to improve their financial management and a place they come to for help, not just for signatures. That means building capacity, sharing best practices, and treating agency finance officers as colleagues rather than subjects.
5. What do you see as the biggest challenges facing South Carolina’s Comptroller General over the next 10 years, and how do you plan to address them?
I think that the biggest challenge facing South Carolina’s Comptroller General office over the next 10 years will be to create a culture where a “D” grade from agencies like Truth in Accounting, will be considered unacceptable. Secondly, South Carolina has received substantial temporary federal aid since 2020 in response to the COVID-19 crisis. This additional funding contributed to improvements in the state’s financial condition and increased its available resources to pay bills. However, as this aid declines and national budget tightening continues, future funding may return to more typical levels. Given a return to 2019 federal grants and contributions, adjusted only for inflation, the State could see a $3.7 billion reduction in federal funding, which represents around 9 percent of projected expenses for the state’s primary government and may present challenges for maintaining services and balancing the budget.
A top priority for me will be to create transparency so that citizens can fully understand all of the opportunities and constraints our state currently faces. The Comptroller General produces financial reports that very few citizens ever read because they are written for accountants and bond analysts, not for the people who actually paid for everything in them. I will create a plain-language annual financial report, a true citizen’s guide to the state budget that tells every South Carolinian, in terms they can understand, where their tax dollars went and what they accomplished. Transparency is not just a technical requirement. It is a democratic obligation.
Equally as important, I will invest in the next generation. I have spent years in the classroom, and I know that the quality of our public institutions shapes the opportunities available to young people. I will use the visibility of this office to advocate for sound fiscal policies that invest in education, infrastructure, and human capital, the foundations of long-term economic growth. Because creating public value is not just about managing money wisely today. It is about building the conditions for prosperity tomorrow.
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