Joe White To Undergo Cancer Treatment

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Crusading South Carolina state lawmaker Joe White – who has taken on the corrupt status quo in Columbia, S.C. like few before him – announced on Thursday that he would soon undergo treatment for throat cancer.

“In my two years as your representative, I’ve been honest about the corruption holding our state back,” White said in a news release. “Now, I need to be honest with you as a friend.”

According to the 78-year-old from Newberry, S.C., his doctors found a “small, highly treatable cancerous growth” in his throat during an examination in late April.

“It sounds scary, but thanks to medical advances and early detection, it’s curable,” White said. “And mine was detected early. I’ll start treatment soon and have it removed. But it may sideline me for a while.”

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White has represented S.C. House District 40 – which includes Newberry County and a small portion of Lexington County – since January 2023. During his brief tenure in the legislature, he has been the heart and soul of the S.C. Freedom Caucus – a group of approximately seventeen staunchly conservative GOP lawmakers. He has also been the preeminent legislative advocate for long-overdue reform of the Palmetto State’s badly broken judicial branch of government.

Last month, in fact, White held a press conference calling out legislative leaders for dragging their feet and refusing to pass meaningful reform of judicial selection in South Carolina. In fact, as this article was going to press White was reportedly working with S.C. judiciary committee chairman Weston Newton in the hopes of securing a vote on a reform bill.

FITSNews interviewed White as he began his first term as a member of the S.C. General Assembly. We sat down with him for a follow-up conversation in December.

Just yesterday, I penned an article which referenced White as precisely the sort of citizen-legislator South Carolina voters desperately needs to send more of to the S.C. State House.

“Give me … 170 Joe Whites in Columbia, S.C. – for as long as they will stay,” I wrote. “We would see a dramatically freer, safer, smarter and more prosperous state.”

(Click to view)

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Thankfully, White made it clear his cancer treatment would not result in him abandoning his reelection bid – or his campaign to fix South Carolina’s court system.

“What does this mean for my campaign?” he said. “Well, not much. I’m in it to win it and am more dedicated than ever to grow our conservative movement.”

In a video release accompanying his announcement, White said his treatment “may affect my voice temporarily.”

“You may get a break from hearing about judicial reform for a while,” he joked.

“I make this solemn commitment: I’m going to beat this illness — and with your support, we’re going to beat the Swamp this June as well,” White added.

We wish White all the best for a speedy recovery … and every success as he and his colleagues continues their efforts to restore fairness, integrity and accountability to South Carolina’s court system.

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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 and before that he was a bass guitarist and dive bar bouncer. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.

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