Empowering Communities by Addressing Issues!
Women's Rights
I believe a woman’s reproductive rights should be protected because they are essential to her autonomy, health, and future. Decisions about pregnancy and healthcare are deeply personal, and every woman deserves the freedom to make them based on her own circumstances and values. These decision should be between a woman and her healthcare provider. Safeguarding these rights ensures access to safe medical care, supports equality, and allows women to participate fully in society without unnecessary barriers. Protecting reproductive rights is a commitment to dignity, respect, and fundamental fairness.
Economic Development
AFFORDABLE HOUSING: I want to introduce rent stabilization laws to help keep housing affordable and communities stable. By limiting sharp rent increases, rent stabilization will help prevent displacement, allowing long-term residents to remain in their homes and maintain neighborhood ties. This stability benefits not just tenants, but also local economies, as people are more able to budget, work, and invest in their communities.
EVICTION LAWS: South Carolina's eviction laws are outdated and need to be revised to help keep families in their homes.
- Brandon Newton has NEVER addressed affordable housing or eviction laws.
TRANSPORTATION: I am committed to improving infrastructure by working with city and county council to identify and partner with reliable vendors to introduce public transportation options connecting Lancaster with Indian Land and Kershaw to Lancaster. Too many residents are limited by a lack of transportation, making it harder to reach steady employment and essential services. By building these connections, we can open doors to job opportunities, strengthen our local economy, and ensure that everyone—regardless of whether they own a car—has a fair chance to succeed.
- Brandon Newton has NEVER introduced any plan to support residents without cars having access to jobs.
INFRASTRUCTURE: For far too long, the infrastructure needs of District 45 have been overlooked, leaving our roads, utilities, and public systems struggling to keep up with the demands of our growing community.
Strong infrastructure is not a luxury—it is the foundation of a healthy economy and a high quality of life.
Our community deserves better than patchwork fixes and delayed action. It’s time for a focused, long-term plan that addresses these challenges head-on, brings accountability to how resources are allocated, and delivers real, lasting improvements for the people of District 45.
- Brandon Newton is campaigning to improve infrastructure across the state when he hasn't improved infrastructure in our district as he promised when first coming into office 9 years-ago.
HIGHER PAYING JOBS: I am committed to recruiting larger companies to bring high-quality, higher-paying jobs to our district. This effort will help more residents become gainfully employed, strengthen our local economy, and ensure that hardworking families have the chance to build a more secure and prosperous future right here at home.
- Brandon Newton is more focused on the needs of lobbyist than on the needs of the people of our district. He has NOT advocated for higher paying jobs in our district.
- Brandon Newton voted against raising the minimum wage while he voted to give himself a pay increase.
REGULATING DATA CENTERS: I will work to ensure that the rapid growth of data centers in South Carolina benefits our communities without placing unfair costs on residents. While these facilities can bring investment and innovation, they also place significant demands on land, water, and energy infrastructure—costs that too often fall on local families through higher utility bills and strained resources. I support smart, responsible regulation that requires data center developers to contribute their fair share, protect our environment, and maintain transparency with the public.
- Brandon Newton introduced legislature to use tax dollars to build Dominion Energy a power plant, here in South Carolina to drain our resources. Dominion Energy serves the world's largest data center market in Northern Virginia
MEDICINAL MARIJUANA: I support the responsible legalization of medical marijuana as a practical and compassionate step forward for our communities. This policy has the potential to generate new, targeted tax revenue that can help ease the financial burden on small businesses—without raising existing taxes or stifling local growth.
More importantly, this is about improving lives. Patients in hospice care deserve access to every option that may ease their pain and preserve their dignity. Individuals living with chronic pain should not be limited to treatments that fail to provide relief. And our veterans—many of whom continue to struggle with the lasting effects of their service—deserve alternatives when prescription medications are not enough to help stabilize their mood and well-being.
By legalizing and regulating medical marijuana, we can give healthcare providers more tools, expand patient choice, and take a meaningful step toward both economic fairness and compassionate care. I am committed to advancing this policy in a way that is safe, evidence-based, and focused on serving those who need it most.
- Brandon Newton has NOT introduced any bills to take the pressures off of small businesses that should have never been there.
EDUCATION: I am committed to making meaningful, long-term investments in South Carolina’s educational system, which has fallen behind in national rankings for far too long. Our students deserve a world-class education, and our teachers deserve the resources and support necessary to deliver it.
- Brandon Newton introduced legislature to raise the pay of teachers but NOT to address our teachers being overworked without adequate resources and supports and the need to provide vouchers to help our teachers pay for childcare.
HOMESTEAD TAX: I am committed to the removal of the homestead tax burden for individuals aged 75 and older who have been long-term residents of our state. Eliminating the homestead tax for qualifying residents will help ensure that fixed-income households are not forced into financial hardship due to rising property costs.
For new residents aged 75 and older, I propose eligibility for the same homestead tax relief after establishing residency in South Carolina for a minimum of five years. This ensures that relief is both accessible and fairly integrated into our tax system, while still prioritizing long-term commitment to our state.
- Brandon Newton has NOT introduced eliminating the Homestead Tax for seniors as they age and prices continue to rise while they are on fixed-incomes.
Agriculture: I am committed to working with farmers, rural leaders, and industry experts to build a stronger, more resilient agricultural future for South Carolina. Supporting local agriculture is not just about economics—it’s about preserving a way of life, protecting our natural resources, and ensuring long-term sustainability for future generations. We must preserve farmland, strengthen local food systems, and ensure that small and family-owned farms can compete in an increasingly challenging economy. It also means improving access to resources, infrastructure, and markets so that rural agricultural communities are not left behind.
- Brandon Newton has NOT made the agricultural needs of local farms in our district one of his priorities.
Community Safety
SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHT: I support amending current legislation to ensure that the minimum age for purchasing firearms is raised above 18. At a time when communities across the country are seeking ways to reduce gun violence and improve public safety, it is reasonable to reexamine whether 18-year-olds should have the ability to purchase firearms.
This is not about undermining constitutional rights; it is about applying thoughtful, responsible safeguards that reflect the realities of maturity, decision-making, and public safety. Just as we set age requirements for other regulated responsibilities, we should ensure that firearm purchasing laws are consistent with the goal of reducing preventable harm.
- Brandon Newton voted to decreased the age of gun ownership from 21 years-old to 18 years-old KNOWING that crimes are being committed by individuals 18 years-old and younger.
HATE CRIME BILL: I am committed to pushing for strong, clear hate-crime legislation that ensures acts of violence or intimidation motivated by bias are met with appropriate legal consequences. No one should have to live in fear because of their race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other inherent part of who they are.
- Brandon Newton voted against a hate crime bill while voting to name highways after Donald Trump and Charlie Kirk.
PUBLIC SAFETY: Public safety is a fundamental responsibility of government, and our officers must be equipped to meet that responsibility. That means investing in modern equipment, improved training, mental health resources for officers, and stronger coordination between local, state, and federal agencies.
At the same time, effective public safety requires more than enforcement alone. We must also support prevention efforts, community partnerships, and programs that address the root causes of crime so that we can reduce violence before it starts.
I will work to ensure that funding decisions are responsible, transparent, and focused on outcomes—so that our law enforcement professionals have what they need to protect our neighborhoods, and our residents can feel safe in their daily lives.
- Brandon Newton requested 11M to build the Lindsay Pettus Greenway and
- Brandon Newton requested 1.9M for Lancaster Society for Historical Preservation, Inc , Arts Council,
- Brandon Newton requested 1.2M for the Sheriff's Department
- $500,000 for the Kershaw Patriot Boating Ramp voted against a hate crime bill while voting to name highways after Donald Trump and Charlie Kirk.
- Brandon Newton requested 4M for Kershaw County Health Services Indoor Pool and Community Health Center
- Brandon Newton requested $750,000.00 for Lancaster County Recreational Center
Since coming into office 9 years ago, Brandon Newton has not;
- Brandon Newton has NOT provided funding for the Police Department.
- Brandon Newton has NOT provided funding towards preventative services to address crime.
- Brandon Newton has NOT provided funding to address gun violence or gang violence.
- Brandon Newton has NOT provided funding for homelessness.
- Brandon Newton has NOT made public safety a priority.
HEALTH CARE REFORM
MENTAL HEALTH REFORM: Mental health care in South Carolina is in urgent need of reform. Too many individuals and families across our state are struggling without adequate access to timely, effective, and compassionate care. The prevalence of severe mental health challenges demands a system that is not only reactive, but proactive and responsive to the real experiences of those affected.
I support moving South Carolina toward a trauma-informed approach to mental health care—one that recognizes the impact of trauma on behavior, development, and long-term well-being. This means training providers, educators, and first responders to better understand and respond to trauma, while ensuring that care systems are built around dignity, empathy, and evidence-based treatment.
HEALTH CARE: I am committed to strengthening our healthcare system so that every resident—regardless of where they live—has access not just to care, but to excellent care. South Carolinians should not have to cross state lines to receive the quality treatment they deserve.
MEDICAID EXPANSION: I support the expansion of Medicaid in South Carolina to ensure that more residents have access to affordable, quality healthcare. Too many individuals and families are currently falling through the cracks of our healthcare system—earning too much to qualify for existing assistance, yet not enough to afford private coverage.
- Brandon Newton voted against expanding Medicaid.