Former Social Security commissioner joins Congressional candidate Deford for town hall on Hilton Head

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (WTOC) - A lot of eyes are turning to the 2026 election season.

On Thursday, one of the democratic candidates for Congress, Mac Deford, was on Hilton Head Island.

He hosted a town hall alongside former Social Security Administration Commissioner Martin O’Malley.

This marked the third town hall for Deford and O’Malley this week and the second in Beaufort County.

Social Security is something millions of people pay into and count on.

“We have to help each other if we are going to succeed and say yes,” O’Malley said. “For those in the dawn of life and those in the dusk of life, every soul. That’s what social security is about.”

O’Malley, who was the commissioner for Social Security under the Biden administration, talked to people about some of the steps they took during his time in office, such as making the customer service aspect easier for people.

And steps that he thinks the current administration needs to take, like raising the tax cap, which is currently at $176,100.

“I think the chances are pretty good,” O’Malley said. “Do you know what percentage of people benefit from that? Only 6% of us make more than $176,000, so what’s the political calculus of not doing it.”

Republicans on this issue oppose raising that cap because that would mean people are paying more taxes.

O’Malley joined Deford, the former general counsel for the Town of Hilton Head Island, who is running for the first congressional district seat in South Carolina for the second time.

That district covers Beaufort and part of Jasper County.

Deford says the current state of social security and the economy are concerns that many people he has spoken with have.

“It’s impacting how people can live, what kind of lives they can live,” Deford said. “I talk to a lot of young people right now, and they are concerned about whether they will make enough to support themselves after college or high school. Many people don’t think that buying a house is within reach anymore.”

He is running for the democratic ticket after Congresswoman Nancy Mace, who currently sits in the seat, announced that she is running for governor.

“We need to look at candidates by what they are actually going to do for us, what they have done for us, not what they say they are going to do,” Deford said.

The primary election in 2026 that will feature the races for Congress, Governor, and Senate will take place next summer.