Jermaine Johnson

Between basketball seasons in 2012, Jermaine Johnson took a job as a corrections officer in Columbia and received a first paycheck of $625.¹ He had grown up in South Central Los Angeles, where his parents’ substance abuse and repeated evictions left the family moving between hotels and homelessness.¹ He and his wife, Evan, have four children.²

Basketball brought him to the College of Charleston, where he became team captain and scored 1,276 career points.¹ He later played professionally overseas, including in Brazil, and took online graduate classes while continuing his playing career.¹ He earned a master’s degree from Strayer University in 2014 and a business administration doctorate from Northcentral University in 2018.³

Johnson founded the New Economic Beginnings Foundation to help young people and veterans with education and employment opportunities.¹ He served on the Richland County Recreation Commission from 2016 to 2020 and entered the State House in 2021.³ He now represents District 52, covering parts of Kershaw and Richland counties, and serves on the Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee.³

Against Republican Alan Wilson, Johnson supports Medicaid expansion and would repeal this year’s income tax overhaul, proposing revenue from legalized cannabis.⁴ He also proposes a temporary moratorium on new data centers while the state establishes rules for their development.⁴ The winner will succeed Governor Henry McMaster, with health coverage, taxes and electricity demand among the choices facing the next administration.⁴