Dr. Jermaine Johnson, the Democratic nominee for governor of South Carolina, returns to the campus where he played college basketball along with Lt. Governor nominee, Sam Skardon for Cougar Civics Candidate Connect - an evening of student resources and open conversation hosted by the College of Charleston College Democrats and the Lowcountry Young Democrats.
The event runs 7:00–8:30 p.m. at the College of Charleston's Silcox Physical Education and Health Center, 24 George St. Doors open at 6:50 p.m. The first half hour is a resource fair, where students and members of the public can visit tables staffed by the College Democrats, the CofC Political Science Club with voter registration information from SC Votes, the College of Charleston NAACP chapter and The South Carolina Education Association. Attendees who complete a "passport" of table stops are entered into a raffle.
At 7:30 p.m., The SCEA President Dr. Dena Renee Crews and a student leader from the CofC NAACP chapter open a moderated conversation with Johnson, followed by audience questions. The discussion focuses on the issues students have raised with organizers: college affordability, student loan debt, barriers facing aspiring teachers on the Praxis certification exams, and the rollback of Black history instruction and DEI programs across state agencies. Sam Skardon, the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor and a Charleston resident, is also expected to attend.
Johnson knows the building. He played four seasons for the Cougars from 2005 to 2009, finishing among the program's career leaders with more than 1,100 points and 850 rebounds before a six-year professional career. He went on to earn a master's degree and a doctorate in business administration and organizational leadership, and was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 2020.
"I learned how to work on this campus, and I learned what it costs to stay here. Students are carrying debt for degrees that are supposed to open doors, and too many of them are being told the history that made them is somehow inappropriate to teach,” said Dr. Johnson. “I'm coming back to listen first, and then to tell them exactly what a governor can do about it."
The Charleston stop follows the launch of Johnson's College & County Tour, which began Sept. 21 in Anderson and Pickens counties and continues through the fall. Johnson won the June 9 Democratic primary with 58.2% of the vote, avoiding a runoff, and has centered his campaign on cost-of-living measures including a livable minimum wage, property tax relief and holding insurers accountable for premiums. He faces Republican Attorney General Alan Wilson on Nov. 3.
EVENT DETAILS:
- WHAT: Cougar Civics Candidate Connect with Dr. Jermaine Johnson
- WHEN: Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, 7:00–8:30 p.m. (doors 6:50 p.m.)
- WHERE: Silcox Physical Education and Health Center, College of Charleston, 24 George St., Charleston, SC 29401
- WHO: Dr. Jermaine Johnson; Sam Skardon; Dr. Dena Renee Crews, President, The SCEA; leaders of the CofC NAACP chapter, College Democrats and Lowcountry Young Democrats
- HOSTS: College of Charleston College Democrats and Lowcountry Young Democrats, supported by The SCEA
- MEDIA: Open press. Press check-in at the main entrance beginning at 6:45 p.m.
*The event is free and open to students and the public.