5 things to watch for in Wednesday’s governor debate between McMaster, Cunningham

Republican S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster and Democratic challenger Joe Cunningham will debate Wednesday in their only face-to-face meeting before the Nov. 8 election.

Here are five things to watch for in the debate:

Will they go on the attack?

When Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Democratic nominee Tally Casey debated Oct. 11, the show was light on drama. But when Republican U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace and Democratic challenger Annie Andrews met in their 1st Congressional District debate last week, the meeting turned fiery at times.

Neither McMaster nor Cunningham will say what style they will use in Wednesday’s debate.

“That depends on the questions that are asked, of course, but I would like to do the same thing that Pam (Evette) did,” McMaster said. “When you have an opportunity to tell what we’ve done, why we’ve done it and what we’re planning on doing, because our state is booming. Part of the reason is because of the policies that we’ve instituted.”

Expect Cunningham to try to make the argument the state isn’t as well off as McMaster says it is.

“My job is not really that difficult, because he’s already said what he said about where he stands on women’s freedom and teacher pay, and his record is very clear,” Cunningham said. “And so I think it’d be a good opportunity for folks to better understand where he stands. We’re just looking to put his his record up front and center for folks.”

Which ’Joe’ is McMaster debating?

Part of McMaster’s campaign has been spent railing against the federal government policies controlled by Democrats and asserting that practices from Washington, D.C., will never take place in South Carolina. McMaster has sought to connect Cunningham to President Joe Biden, who had a 32% approval rating in South Carolina in an April poll by Winthrop University.

McMaster’s campaign has repeatedly asked where Cunningham stands on the Inflation Reduction Act, a signature climate change and health care bill signed by Biden earlier this year.

Cunningham, meanwhile, has said he doesn’t believe Biden should run for reelection in 2024 and has called for an age limit for elected officials. The former congressman also has said his job isn’t to defend Biden.

Abortion to be a central topic

Cunningham has repeatedly said McMaster wants to ban all abortions in the state with no exceptions and the only way to prevent an abortion ban from going into place in South Carolina is to have a Democratic governor in office to veto any such measure.

McMaster initially said he didn’t want to have any exceptions in an abortion ban but later clarified that he thought exceptions for rape, incest, the life of the mother and a fatal fetal anomaly, all listed in the fetal heartbeat bill, are reasonable. McMaster has said wants to see a day where no abortions are sought.

The General Assembly tried to push through a near-total abortion ban in recent months in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision overturning Roe vs. Wade. However, the state House and the Senate have not been able to come to an agreement on a bill. The House wants a near-total ban, while the Senate wants to shore up the state’s six-week ban against legal challenges.

“That’s an issue, at least nationally, we’re not sure what it’s going to do in these elections,” said Danielle Vinson, a politics and international affairs professor at Furman University. “It can cut in interesting ways depending on how restrictive the states decide to be.”

What will they say about crime, marijuana and sports betting?

Cunningham has pointed to South Carolina’s high crime rate as one reason McMaster shouldn’t be reelected. McMaster placed blame on Washington politics as well as policies that allow for a catch and release of offenders. He also recently released a list of proposals to improve public safety including denying bond to repeat violent crime offenders.

During the debate, look for what solutions either will propose to address crime issues in the state.

Legalizing marijuana and sports betting are key parts of Cunningham’s agenda, which also includes eliminating the state income tax.

Cunningham contends that betting and marijuana use already happen in South Carolina despite the activities being illegal. McMaster has said he is against recreational marijuana and sports gambling, believing they are bad for the state.

However, the governor has said proposals to legalize medical marijuana are worth studying.

How will they discuss the age issue?

Cunningham, 40, has said elected officials should have a 72-year age limit and pointed to McMaster’s longevity in state politics as to why the state isn’t moving forward. He’s called for new leaders to take the helm.

McMaster, 75, says experience matters and should be considered when picking a leader.

Talking about a candidate’s age can be tricky, Vinson said.

“You can’t be rude about it, but the only way Cunningham has a chance is if he gets people who voted for McMaster in the past to vote against him, (but) also if he turns out those folks who don’t typically vote, and that’s a lot of younger people,” Vinson said.

Now, will McMaster try for a Reagan-Mondale-like debate moment, when Ronald Reagan’s age became an issue in 1984?

“I will not make age an issue of this campaign,” Reagan joked when he was asked if he was too old to be president when he was 73 years old. “I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience.”

How to watch

What: Gubernatorial debate between Republican Gov. Henry McMaster and Democratic nominee Joe Cunningham. The debate is hosted by S.C. ETV and the Charleston Post and Courier.

When: 7 p.m. Wednesday

Where: S.C. ETV will air the debate on its statewide television network and livestream the debate on Facebook, its YouTube channel and online at scetv.org.