Normally, I don’t even acknowledge negative attacks that are launched against me because I know who and whose I am, and why I serve.
Like you, I’m so over the negative, hyper-partisan rhetoric that seeks only to divide, distract and destroy. No need to go negative when you have a proven track record of leadership, advocacy and courage to call out corrupt, self-serving politicians, regardless of race, gender or party.
But when my opponent takes a page out of Trump’s playbook and deliberately lies...using words like corruption and bribery to assassinate my character and cast aspersions on my record of public service, I can’t let it go unchecked.
Truth is...Lee Blatt is deliberately lying about my character and my record because he doesn’t have either.
My only encounter with him was a meeting he requested with me at the State House for the sole purpose of asking me to appoint him to the Airport Commission. If appointed, Mr. Blatt would have a say and a vote on all of the Columbia Metro Airport’s multi-million dollar contracts and vendor opportunities. It’s a position he strategically covets to further his business development efforts on behalf of Robins & Morton Construction Company.
Because he wasn’t appointed to the Airport Commission, he decided to run against me and launch a total smear campaign in hopes of buying the seat to serve himself and his wealthy cronies. So, while he accuses me of appointing corrupt people to Richland County’s Boards & Commissions, he’s running against me because I didn’t appoint him.
Competition is always good, and I welcome it. But my opponent is precisely the kind of self-serving candidate that gives politics and politicians a bad name. When you’re wealthy and privileged like Mr. Blatt, you identify the position that’ll line your pockets and aggressively go after anyone who gets in your way.
Meanwhile, the rest of us work hard, run on our own merits and earn it.
And I get that my name is the perfect acronym for haters like Mr. Blatt, who love to say I’m M.I.A., but if that were true, I wouldn’t have key endorsements, overwhelming bipartisan support of District 22 voters or the SCGOP spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on negative attack ads against me.
Dogs only bark at moving cars.
If I wasn’t fighting for you, they wouldn’t be comin’ for me.
So, instead of lying about my ethics filings, perhaps Mr. Blatt should take another look at his, since the SC Ethics Commission flagged his recent expenditure as “possibly fraudulent."
And since we’re talking about intentional misrepresentations, calling himself a pilot with a major airline is impressive. It just may not be factual. That’s what a constituent who happens to be a Captain with that airline believes, after receiving campaign materials from Mr. Blatt, who referred to himself as a pilot with the airline. Yet, he couldn’t find Mr. Blatt’s name anywhere in the airline’s database and heard nothing back after reaching out to Mr. Blatt’s campaign about his questions and concerns.
If he’s dishonest about his own record, I guess I shouldn’t expect him to be honest about mine.
Fortunately, the people of Senate District 22 have participated in my town halls on education reform, roads & infrastructure, Medicaid Expansion, redistricting, domestic & teen dating violence, affordable healthcare, systemic racism, public safety and COVID-19. They’ve gotten tested at some of the COVID-19 testing sites I’ve hosted in and around the district. They’ve heard me voicing strong opposition to Palmetto Utilities’ proposed rate hikes at the PSC’s virtual Night Hearings. They’ve seen me risk my own life and health to go back into the State House and fight for them to be able to vote safely during this global pandemic.
Mr. Blatt seems “thirsty” for power and insists upon using his wealth and privilege for his own personal gain. That’s not just wrong for Senate District 22. It’s wrong for South Carolina.
And on November 3rd, I trust Senate District 22 voters to let him know it.