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By Leon G. Russ
HOMETOWN NEWS
Dwight Drake, a Democratic candidate for governor, spoke to about 30 Democrats at the Spartanburg County Democratic Party Luncheon on Monday at the Golden Corral on Spartanburg’s west side.
Drake touted his experience, his commitment to acting as a recruiter for businesses to the state, a focus on early childhood education and his ability to bring together Republicans and Democrats in the state House and Senate as reasons why he should be the next governor of South Carolina.
He explained, “People have a cynicism about government that I hope to remove.” He stated people “must trust their leaders whether they agree with them or not.”
Drake said his top priority as governor would be to bring jobs to South Carolina. He noted every governor “from Hollis to Hodges, Democrat and Republican alike understood a large part of the job of being the governor was to be the chief marketer of South Carolina. I plan to be a governor that wakes up in the morning thinking about what can I do to create jobs. When I go to sleep at night I want to ask myself ‘Have I done enough today to bring jobs to South Carolina?’’
He noted the next governor must be ahead of the curve and spoke of how other states are looking ahead and preparing for the future while South Carolina is floundering.
He pointed to Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue’s meeting with the government of Panama in advance of the widening of the Panama Canal in 2014.
He noted the expansion of the canal will lead to increased trade along the east coast and Georgia is preparing for that by seeing Democrats and Republicans unite to vote to deepen the harbor in Savannah so they can capitalize on the increased trade.
“We have done next to nothing getting ready for that” expansion, he said. He took a swipe at the current governor when he noted while the governor of Georgia was in Panama working with the Panamanians, South Carolina’s governor was in Argentina on his own mission.
He also noted the current government in Cuba is on it’s last legs and forward - thinking governors are already planning on taking advantage of it. He said Cuba would need “products we produce and can ship from our port.”
He also said his other priority would be early childhood education. He pointed out if a child isn’t reading at the third grade level after third grade “he is pretty much assured to be in the dropout column and half of them will end up in the penitentiary.”
He noted education and jobs are directly related and touted the fact that he helped stop Governor Sanford from taking public taxpayer monies and using them for private vouchers.
Drake took audience questions following his address. Lunch-goer Jonathan Metcalf stated South Carolina is a “legislative state” and asked Drake how would be able to accomplish anything since the House and Senate will be Republican - controlled.
Drake answered, “I have experience pulling together Republicans and Democrats, more so than any other candidate, probably more than any other person.”
Senator Glenn Reese told those gathered, “It’s always about South Carolina, not the party, when it comes to Dwight.”
This is Drake’s first run for public office. He was born and raised in Lyman and graduated from Byrnes High School. He then worked the second shift at the Lyman Mill while attending Spartanburg Junior College (later to be renamed Spartanburg Methodist College).
He is a military veteran who served in Vietnam. Returning home he attended the University of Georgia and received his law degree from the University of South Carolina.
He worked for Governors John West and Dick Riley, as legal counsel for the former and as the top legislative aide for the latter.
Drake, an attorney, lives in Columbia with his wife Beth, a federal prosecutor, and their two daughters, Marshall, 12, and Eliza, 9.
lruss@hometown-news.com
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