Webster’s weekslong blitz for Democratic bid for SC gov includes $2M of own cash
Billy Webster, who entered the race for the Democratic nomination for governor March 25, has spent more than $1.9 million since his campaign launch.
His late entry forced him to spend heavily to boost his name recognition among people outside the regular political insiders.
To pay for the heavy spend, Webster, a Greenville businessman who started the payday loan business Advance America, loaned his campaign $2 million nearly matching a rival for the party’s nomination.
“I’m going to win, and I’m going to put in what it takes to win, either contributed to me or be well resourced enough. And look, I’m fortunate that I can do that,” said Webster, who also has owned Bojangles franchises, among working in other industries.
Webster is on the June 9 Democratic ballot for the party’s nomination against state Rep. Jermaine Johnson and Charleston attorney Mullins McLeod.
McLeod has put in $2.3 million of his own cash into the race.
Webster also has raised the most money from contributors as his campaign has been supplemented by deep-pocketed Democratic donors, according to state ethics commission reports. He raised $608,000 since entering the race.
Johnson has raised $491,000 and McLeod has raised $126,000 from donors, ethics commission records show. Johnson launched his exploratory committee in May 2025 and kicked off his campaign in late October. McLeod kicked off his campaign in August.
Webster’s campaign messaging has said that the race for the nomination is about who could win and who could lead.
“I think I’m the only candidate that can win,” Webster said. “That’s not a shot at Jermaine. Jermaine showed tremendous courage by getting in this race when nobody else did. I’m not quite sure why Mullins got in, but you know, that’s his to explain.”
Webster, spent more than double what McLeod spent between April 1 and May 20 and more than 20 times what Johnson spent.
“I’m going to do what it takes to win. That means working hard, having great friends like Steve Benjamin, and being resourced well enough to win the primary and win the general election,” Webster said at a news conference touting the endorsement from the former Columbia mayor. “As I’ve said over and over again, I can’t ask other folks to put their skin in the game if I don’t have my own skin in the game.”
Lower spending
Johnson brought in $74,715 between April 1 and May 20. On his limited budget however, Johnson spent $94,000 leaving him with less than $79,800 for the final three weeks before the June 9 primary.
Johnson, in late April, had confidence he would be able to go on television to amplify his message. His campaign has bought time streaming services and YouTube.
“We’ll be on air,” Johnson said in April. “Right now, we’re just meeting the people where they are. I think that’s the most important part, is meeting people where they are, talking to people doing these things … I’m just going to talk to the people. I don’t want to get bogged down in the mudslinging contest and all these different things.”
Johnson, a three-term state representative, still has the ability to excite a crowd and received a loud ovation at the South Carolina Democratic Party Convention packed with party faithful and activists.
He has been fighting back against the narrative that he isn’t electable in South Carolina.
“We need to start redefining what electability means. It’s not about who has the most money. It’s not about being a middle-aged white man. It’s who has the most qualifications to do this job,” Johnson told the convention. “I am the most qualified to do this job.”
McLeod raised $2,200 for his campaign between April 1 and May 20. However, after putting in $2.3 million of his own money into the campaign last year, he didn’t contribute any additional money as Webster went on the air, according to ethics commission records.
McLeod had been spending money directed toward outreach to the Black community, a key voting block in the Democratic electorate. He has spent nearly $559,000 on advertising since launching his campaign last year, according to Ethics Commission records. However, $285,000 of that amount has been spent since Webster entered the race.
He also has invested in texting communication, spending $66,000 to communicate with voters on their phones. About $45,000 of that amount has been spent after March 25.
In a text message sent out Thursday, McLeod criticized Webster for contributing to Republican candidates in the past.
“The people of South Carolina cannot afford another four years of being sold out by greed,” the McLeod campaign said in a text message. “The contrast between Billy Webster and myself could not be clearer.”
In a separate statement to The State, his campaign criticized Webster’s connection to a private equity firm. Golub Capital, where Webster serves on the board of directors, recently helped finance a $790 million deal involving an artificial intelligence platform.
“His campaign has nothing to do with helping the people of South Carolina” and rather with safeguarding the transaction. McLeod said. “Greed is a bottomless pit and political corruption has no conscience.”
In response, Webster dismissed McLeod.
“I don’t know what he said, and he’s not worth responding to,” Webster said.
McLeod also declined to participate in the party’s weekend convention because he said the party had speakers who had connections to data centers and artificial intelligence. The keynote speaker was U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna, a potential presidential candidate whose district includes Silicon Valley.
“What the leadership of the Democratic Party should have done is invite a keynote speaker whose platform serves the people of South Carolina’s interest and protects the people of South Carolina’s interest,” said McLeod, who did not take questions from the media while standing by the doors of the convention center. “Servant leaders like me stand on what is right, and what is right is to not participate in anything, a platform that would take people’s jobs.”
Upcoming debate
South Carolina ETV has a debate scheduled for Democratic candidates for governor.
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday
Confirmed Participants: State Rep. Jermaine Johnson, Charleston attorney Mullins McLeod and Greenville businessman Billy Webster.
Where to watch: The debate will be broadcasted on ETV and SC Public Radio, and streamed on SCETV website, SCETV Facebook page and the SCETV News YouTube channel as well as on the SC Public Radio website and SC Public Radio Facebook page.
