Republican Jenny Costa Honeycutt outlines priorities in South Carolina U.S. House District 1 race

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WTOC) - Republican Jenny Costa Honeycutt said protecting her home and addressing affordability are driving her campaign for the South Carolina U.S. House District 1 seat in the Nov. 3 election.

Honeycutt is running against Democrat Nancy Lacore and Libertarian Bill Reeside to fill the seat held by Congresswoman Nancy Mace.

Background in Lowcountry government

“I’m running to protect the place I call home and what has made me who I am today,” Honeycutt said.

Honeycutt said what makes her different is being a Lowcountry native and having experience serving in local government.

“I have relationships with all of our local governments across the district,” Honeycutt said. “And I’ve got the experience and record to bring real results back from Washington.”

“I’ve spent my whole life here,” Honeycutt said. “I’ve built my business here, raised my children here. I understand the needs of the Lowcountry. And having governed here for the last eight years, I know specifically what it is, whether it’s infrastructure needs, whether it’s the need to balance growth or economic needs.”

Affordability and spending

Honeycutt said a phone call from her son drives her campaign.

“My son called home to say that he wouldn’t be moving back to the Lowcountry, in large part due to the affordability challenges we face,” Honeycutt said. “And that really stuck with me, and I realized if we’re going to leave the next generation something better than what we have had, we’re going to have to make some real changes.”

When asked what her goals would be in Washington, Honeycutt cited the national debt, spending, the economy and inflation.

“I see our national debt as the existential threat facing the next generation,” Honeycutt said. “We’ve got to get spending under control. We’ve also got to grow the economy. And we have to reduce inflation.”

On affordability in the Lowcountry, Honeycutt said she supports suspending the gas tax.

“Regarding gas prices right now, you know, suspending the gas tax, I’d love to see the federal government and I’d love to see the state government do that,” Honeycutt said. “So there are short-term things we can do to help provide some relief, but in the long term we really have to make some systemic changes to how we spend in the government.”

Health care

On health care, Honeycutt said creating competition would lower prices.

“There are so many government mandates in this area that restrict competition,” Honeycutt said. “We have got to be able to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse in the system. We see right now that there are so many providers that are taking advantage of the system. We have to root that out and we have to make sure that people have access.”

Final Message to Voters

In her final message to voters, Honeycutt said the election will affect the future of the Lowcountry.

“I want to ensure that we are able to pass along a better Lowcountry for our future than we have right now,” Honeycutt said. “I do believe that’s at stake in this election. And who we put in Washington will play a large part in what the Lowcountry looks like.”