Joe White: Why I Cannot Support Rom Reddy for Governor

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by JOE WHITE

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Over the last several months, many people have asked me why I cannot support Rom Reddy for governor of South Carolina. I believe the people who follow me deserve an honest and factual answer based on my own firsthand experiences and interactions.

When I first met Rom Reddy in March of 2025, my impression was very positive.

A friend asked me to meet with Mr. Reddy, and with his permission, three fellow S.C. Freedom Caucus members joined me for that meeting on March 28, 2025, at his office in Charleston. The meeting lasted roughly two hours. During that meeting, Mr. Reddy expressed strong philosophical agreement with the goals and principles of the South Carolina Freedom Caucus. He talked about helping recruit conservative candidates, growing the movement, and changing the direction of South Carolina government.

At that time, Mr. Reddy had created an organization called DOGE SC. Following that meeting, I made a small personal contribution to DOGE SC and even posted publicly on Facebook that while I am naturally skeptical of new political organizations, I was encouraged by my interaction with Rom Reddy and supportive of the effort.

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Over the following months, I continued communicating and meeting with Mr. Reddy. We discussed conservative policy, candidate recruitment, and ways to strengthen the Freedom Caucus movement in South Carolina. Philosophically, almost every interaction initially seemed aligned with my own beliefs and with the principles publicly espoused by the Freedom Caucus.

However, as time passed, my concerns began to grow.

One important moment occurred during a meeting in April of 2025 involving a businessman friend from Newberry County whom I had introduced to Mr. Reddy. During that meeting, disagreements emerged, and I personally observed a level of agitation and intensity that concerned me. That experience stayed with me.

Over the months that followed, I observed other moments that also caused me concern regarding how disagreements and criticism were handled. By the fall of 2025, it became increasingly clear to me that my relationship with Mr. Reddy was deteriorating.

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The turning point came during a phone conversation on October 28, 2025. Mr. Reddy and political consultant Wesley Donehue were on the call, and my wife was present with me while I was on speakerphone. The conversation began cordially, but disagreement arose over the issue of whether Freedom Caucus members should rejoin the Republican caucus without removal of Rule 16B, a rule prohibiting members from campaigning against incumbent Republican caucus members.

I made clear that I would not support rejoining the caucus unless that rule was removed.

During that conversation, Mr. Reddy stated to me, “I will destroy you and I will begin today.” I responded, “bring it on,” and the conversation ended.

Later that same day, Mr. Reddy sent me a text message apologizing for the heated nature of the conversation. In that text, he wrote in part, “I do not often get into heated conversations, so my apologies.”

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I accepted the apology at the time and chose not to publicly identify him when I later referenced the incident in a Facebook post.

What I can say today is this: leadership is about far more than philosophy alone. It is about steadiness, humility, judgment, temperament, and the ability to handle disagreement without personal hostility. It is about how a person reacts under pressure and how they treat people who do not fully agree with them.

My concerns about Rom Reddy are not rooted in one single disagreement or one isolated conversation. They are based on the overall pattern of interactions and observations I personally experienced over many months.

I also believe that when someone seeks the highest office in South Carolina, the public should have a long-term understanding of that person’s background, relationships, leadership style, and temperament. In my personal opinion, I simply do not feel that I know enough, or have seen enough consistency, to support Rom Reddy for governor.

This is not written out of anger or bitterness. In fact, I initially supported Mr. Reddy’s efforts and hoped we could work together to advance conservative reform in South Carolina.

But leadership matters. Temperament matters. Integrity matters.

After careful thought and based on my own firsthand experiences, I cannot support Rom Reddy for governor of South Carolina.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…

Joe White is a retired businessman and proud member of the S.C. Freedom Caucus who represents South Carolina House District 40 in the General Assembly.

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