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I am a conservative. I have voted Republican my entire life, and I still believe in what the Republican platform stands for: limited government, fiscal responsibility, individual freedom and personal responsibility. This November, I’ll proudly vote for Alan Wilson for governor and for Republicans up and down the ballot.
But I will not be voting for Darline Graham for the United States Senate.
I didn’t make that decision lightly, and it isn’t personal. Senator Graham lost her brother this year, and I have nothing but sympathy for her family. My decision comes down to what I believe South Carolina needs in a senator, and what I’ve seen get in the way.
What we need is strength, courage and real leadership. We need senators with the backbone to stand up to pressure from both parties, including their own, and the commitment to root out corruption wherever they find it. My family has been involved in politics for years, and I’ve seen firsthand how rare that is. The pressure to go along to get along is enormous, and it is strongest at the top.
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Much of that pressure comes from money. Party leaders, donors and outside groups spend millions to shape our elections, and too often that money pays for the same playbook: tear down the other candidate, make voters afraid, and sometimes simply make things up, instead of explaining and actually fixing problems. Lying and fear tactics are wrong. Voters deserve to know who is paying for those campaigns, and candidates should be willing to explain who they answer to. Ask almost anyone who has challenged the establishment and they’ll tell you they’ve faced that playbook. When the playbook is used to take out anyone who dares stand up, the people who lose are conservatives who want their principles represented, not just their votes collected.
Fear can win an election. It doesn’t lower an insurance bill, clean up corruption or make life more affordable for a South Carolina family.
That playbook is being run again in this race, this time against Annie Andrews. Millions are being spent to tell voters what to fear. Far less has been said about what Senator Graham will actually do for South Carolina, or whether she’ll stand up to the people funding her campaign when it counts.
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RELATED | ANNIE ANDREWS INTERVIEW
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I have sat down with Annie Andrews. We disagree on a lot. We also agree on some important things, including fighting corruption and reforming insurance. She struck me as genuine, and she has said publicly that she’ll stand up to her own party. That is the standard I’m asking of every candidate, and I intend to hold her to it. As of today, I’m leaning her way. It will be the first time in my life I’ve voted for a Democrat in a partisan election.
I know the concern many conservatives will have: isn’t a vote against Graham a vote for the liberal agenda? I’ve thought hard about that. Unfortunately, there is no true conservative to vote for in this election. So, here’s how I see the choice.
If Senator Graham wins, the establishment that backed her will protect her in every primary to come. This seat could be hers for 24 years or more. If Annie Andrews wins and doesn’t stand up to her party the way she has promised, South Carolina voters can hold her accountable and replace her with a strong conservative in six.
Six years we can hold accountable, or 24 years we can’t. To me, that isn’t a hard call.
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I can’t keep voting for the same playbook and expect a different result. In good conscience, I won’t. Real leadership sometimes requires change, and choosing something different is often how change actually happens. I believe the timing is right to do that now.
That, ultimately, is why I’ve made this decision.
I don’t expect everyone to reach my conclusion. That’s democracy. But when you choose who gets your vote, look past the attack ads and ask one question about each candidate: do they have the backbone to stand up for what they believe in and stand up against corruption, or will they be beholden to their party?
Our votes belong to us. They aren’t owed to a party or a political organization. They have to be earned.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Warren Norman is a Rock Hill native and owner and managing partner of Warren Norman Co., a family-owned real estate development company. A Presbyterian College graduate with a degree in special education, he helped lead the creation of Miracle Park, an inclusive recreation space in Rock Hill. He and his wife, Chrissi, have three children.
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