Former Mayor of Charleston Joe Riley (right) today endorsed Joe Cunningham in the Democratic primary for governor. Mayor Riley released the following statement:
“Over the years I have watched Joe Cunningham show tremendous leadership for South Carolina and deliver meaningful change for our state and nation. I first met Joe when he was a college student at the College of Charleston over 20 years ago and I knew then that his future was bright. Little did I know I would be casting my vote for Joe to be my Congressman nearly two decades later.
At a time when our nation is more polarized than almost ever before, Joe kept his promises and provided the kind of bipartisan leadership that focused on getting things done for South Carolina. In just his first term in Congress, Joe was able to pass two of his bills through a divided Congress and signed into law by a Republican President – an impressive accomplishment for any elected official, much less a freshman lawmaker. He kept his word by passing a bill out of the House to ban offshore drilling and he was ranked one of the most independent and effective members of Congress. Joe knows the importance of building coalitions and has demonstrated an ability to work across the aisle that is all too rare in today’s political climate.
Joe is a good man with an exciting vision for the future of South Carolina. And most importantly, I believe he can win. Joe will make an outstanding governor and I will cast my vote for him in the Democratic primary on June 14th.”
