LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Pamela Evette, the most Trump-aligned candidate for governor

Two threads tie President Donald J. Trump and South Carolina’s next Governor, Pamela Evette, together: both are political outsiders and highly successful business owners.

I come from the private sector. As a business owner, I’ve learned that efficiency isn’t optional; it’s essential to success.

That’s why Lt. Governor Pamela Evette’s common-sense initiatives to reform government deserve strong support. They worked well for her in the business community, and will do the same within the walls of government.

Her plan starts with creating a South Carolina Office of Government Efficiency (S.C.O.G.E) to identify waste, fraud and outdated programs. Lt. Governor Evette has also proposed a “10-for-1” regulatory reduction rule, ensuring agencies eliminate old rules before adding new ones. That alone would begin to reverse years of bureaucratic buildup.

Evette is laser-focused on cutting red tape for businesses, making it easier to start, expand and hire. She pairs that with a commitment to rein in state spending by defining government’s core responsibilities and cutting what falls outside them.

Her business background shows in her push for results-driven budgeting: treating taxpayer dollars like an investment and demanding measurable outcomes. She also supports leveraging technology and artificial intelligence to streamline services, reduce administrative costs and improve response times for citizens.

Her bold reforms are directly tied to long-term tax relief, including eliminating the state income tax, and are underpinned by first reducing wasteful spending.

These are concrete, actionable reforms that would make South Carolina’s government leaner, more responsive and more accountable to the people.

Efficiency isn’t about doing less. It’s about doing better. Lt. Governor Evette’s plan moves us in that direction.

Rep. Cal Forrest, R-Saluda, represents Saluda and Lexington Counties in the S.C. House of Representatives, District 39.