Former Congressman and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Joe Cunningham was welcomed to Clemson on Thursday by Clemson College Democrats. The stop was part of Cunningham’s college tour, far ahead of the elections in November 2022. 
Cunningham, the frontrunner in the Democratic primary, was previously the representative for South Carolina’s first district, which includes Charleston, Hilton Head and Beaufort. Other candidates for the nomination include Senator Mia McLeod and activist Gary Votour.
If he is nominated, he will be against current Governor Henry McMaster, who is running for his second term after succeeding Nikki Haley following her appointment as ambassador to the U.N.
Cunningham began his visit with a meet and greet with the college Democrats before a public speaking event at the Amphitheater. Caelen Barlow is the organization’s social media manager.
“My sophomore year of high school, I had to do a project on a political leader I looked up to,” said Barlow, a sophomore biology major. “Living in Charleston, I wrote mine about then-representative Cunningham. Getting to meet him now is so special, it’s like everything came full circle.”
Introducing Cunningham was the college Democrats’ political director and junior economics major Drew Bunce. “I think it’s time for a governor who believes in science,” said Bunce. “Whether it’s climate change, masks or vaccines, it’s time for that change and we can make it happen. This is the man that is going to make that happen.”
Cunningham talked extensively about his support for the legalization of marijuana. “The social and racial disparities that exist are real and they need to be recognized. But it goes beyond just getting the prohibition on marijuana removed, it goes back to righting the wrong. People who have been convicted of these low-level drug offenses, [their] records should be expunged. They should get a second chance at life.”
Education remains a focus of Cunningham’s, supporting an increase in pay and appreciation for teachers as the first step to bettering public schools. “We are at the bottom of every list we want to be at the top of and at the top of every list we want to be at the bottom of,” said Cunningham.
He also stressed the need for change in our elected officials. “Y’all face new challenges and I face new challenges,” he said to the students. “It hasn’t gotten better because people [elect] the same people over and over and over.”
Clemson was not the only college Cunningham has visited, having stopped at College of Charleston and the University of South Carolina.
Caroline Ennis, president of the college Democrats, says that the group hopes more Democratic candidates will pay Clemson a visit in the next election cycle.
Governor Henry McMaster visited campus last week to announce increased funding for ClemsonLIFE.