---
title: "Myrtle Beach, S.C.: Wilson, Johnson clash in chippy debate"
url: https://www.heremyrtlebeach.com/2026/10/07/myrtle-beach-wilson-johnson-chippy-governor-debate/
date: 2026-10-07T07:53:31-04:00
modified: 2026-10-07T07:53:31-04:00
author: "Elise Jaramillo"
categories: ["Politics"]
site: "HERE Myrtle Beach"
attribution: "HERE Myrtle Beach"
---

# Myrtle Beach, S.C.: Wilson, Johnson clash in chippy debate

*Source: [HERE Myrtle Beach](https://www.heremyrtlebeach.com/2026/10/07/myrtle-beach-wilson-johnson-chippy-governor-debate/) — October 7, 2026 by Elise Jaramillo*

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Grand Strand viewers in Myrtle Beach following Horry County’s stake in the statewide race saw Wilson and Johnson press competing affordability plans Tuesday night in their only scheduled televised debate before Nov. 3, an hour that got chippy over taxes and records.

What Myrtle Beach viewers heard was a contrast built for the final weeks: Wilson as the longtime attorney general promising a new generation of leadership, Johnson as the Richland County Democrat promising a new South Carolina after years of one-party control.

Grand Strand viewers in Myrtle Beach heard gambling policy land as a clean split — Johnson open to casinos after a statewide referendum, Wilson opposed even then — alongside the tax fight.

Personal shots forced extra rebuttal windows. That framing lands differently in Myrtle Beach. Wilson questioned how Johnson can promise transformative change after years in the House with few solo wins. Johnson questioned how Wilson can promise affordability after years inside a GOP-run Statehouse that still leaves families stretched.

Server-farm politics landed hard. Myrtle Beach voters have heard versions of this pitch for months. Johnson pointed to a joint resolution he filed to halt data-center construction until the Legislature sets rules. Wilson called a statewide moratorium a false choice that takes options away from communities that see tax benefit, preferring local yes/no with state-written limits on power and pollution.

Health coverage and gambling closed the contrast board. It is a live question for Myrtle Beach households. Johnson tied Medicaid expansion to families crushed by medical bills; Wilson called expansion a budget trap. Johnson would allow casinos if voters approved a statewide referendum; Wilson would block casinos regardless. Third-party hopefuls stayed off camera.

Where they agreed: do not make abortion law stricter than the present about-six-weeks framework with its carve-outs. The contrast is already familiar on Myrtle Beach airwaves. Where they did not: how to finish a statewide hate-crime statute in one of the last two states without one.

Affordability sat at the center. Those stakes are concrete for Myrtle Beach residents. Wilson said he has long backed eliminating the state income tax and wants a path to zero for every filer, with spending growth capped to inflation and population. Johnson attacked a recently signed income-tax overhaul he says raised taxes on hundreds of thousands of households, pledging as governor to repeal it, restore broader exemptions, and grow the share of South Carolinians who owe no income tax from about 40 percent toward 70 percent.

On stage: Wilson, the West Columbia Republican who has spent years as attorney general, promising generational change; Johnson, the Hopkins Democrat representing Richland County, arguing one-party control has left costs too high. The choice will hit Myrtle Beach pocketbooks either way. Whoever prevails Nov. 3 inherits an open seat McMaster can no longer seek.

With early voting set for mid-to-late October and Election Day on Nov. 3, Myrtle Beach residents now have a clearer contrast on taxes, data centers, abortion exceptions, and gambling than the pre-debate ads alone provided. Neither candidate left the studio claiming a knockout, but both left fingerprints on the affordability fight.