Reddy for Governor?
The Rebranding of a Short-Lived Movement
In a crowded field in the race for governor, Rom Reddy claims to stand out as an outsider. I attended the Palmetto Revolution launch last August, and I was left more concerned than excited. After his recent announcement, I wanted to share some new developments and a reminder of my original concerns.
Many are questioning whether running for governor was really a last minute decision, as the DOGE SC Facebook page was first named “Reddy for Governor” in August 2024. That same day, it was renamed Our Voice SC, and then in January 2025, was named DOGE SC. Finally, it went back to “Reddy for Governor” on March 16, 2026.
We don’t know why this page was originally titled “Reddy for Governor,” for less than a day. Perhaps it was a joke. Perhaps someone else set it up that way by mistake. In any case, is Reddy’s response to legitimate questions appropriate?
“Palmetto Revolutionaries” hung out to dry?
According to Reddy’s campaign manager, Wesley Donehue1, “DOGESC was a committee. The [Reddy for Governor] campaign bought the assets of the committee.” Reddy added, “It is now part of the governor’s campaign.”
Many had hopes for an organization - DOGESC - that would act as a grassroots watchdog, achieving reform from outside the system. Enthusiastic followers of this movement were called “Palmetto Revolutionaries.”
In 2024, Reddy founded the PAC named Our Voice SC, which launched the DOGESC PAC in January 2025. According to Myrtle Beach SC News, Our Voice SC and DOGESC both spent thousands of dollars for Facebook ads for his gubernatorial campaign prior to its name change to “Reddy for Governor.” The question was raised, “Did Reddy’s campaign illegally coordinate with his own PAC?”
The article states, “Per the Coalition for integrity: In South Carolina, a Political Action Committee (PAC) cannot coordinate its independent expenditures with a candidate or their campaign. Independent expenditures must be made without consultation, request, or coordination with a candidate or their agent to maintain their ‘independent’ status.”
David Hucks of Myrtle Beach SC News took this concern to the South Carolina Ethics Commission. According to his article, the campaign has not provided financial disclosures or filings to the state of South Carolina. The Commission responded that although “they had misgivings about the DOGESC asset acquisition, it is completely lawful in South Carolina,” and that it would not take action against Rom Reddy. “The laws crafted by lawyer legislators have restricted their ability to act:”
“Political Action Committees operate like the wild west in South Carolina. Numerous activities that are prohibited at the federal level are permissible in this state. Lawyer Legislators govern the State of South Carolina. These Lawyer Legislators support the existing rules for Political Action Committees.”
To this, Myrtle Beach SC stated:
“Rom Reddy identifies as a champion of the people and a populist who mobilizes South Carolinians against Lawyer Legislators. Yet, Reddy engaged in a quintessential insider maneuver by utilizing the laws created by those very lawyer legislators. The lawyer legislator establishment in SC will always take Reddy’s calls. However, Reddy is not actually an insider, even though he operates as one. Rom Reddy knows how the insiders play ball as well as any lawyer legislator in the state. He uses these laws to his personal advantage whenever possible. Readers are invited to determine for themselves whether Reddy is genuinely the reformer he professes to be.”
This was Reddy’s response to Hucks’ reporting on this issue:
According to an article by FITSNews titled, “DOGE SC’s Vanishing Act: Rom Reddy Blasts ‘Garbage’ Critics,” Reddy proceeded to request that Hucks remove him from the email chain, stating, “I have no interest in hearing from you.”
David Hucks and many others in Horry County were instrumental in helping launch and support DOGE SC/The Palmetto Revolution. So when a Reddy spokesperson revealed to him that “Rom Reddy is DOGESC and will be our DOGE SC advocate in the governor’s office,” he naturally felt that his “rear was hung out to dry by asking [him] to help with a movement that ended.”
In essence, “DOGESC has been rebranded into Reddy’s political machine.” In fact, “its infrastructure, messaging and supporter base have been folded into his campaign operation” as the outside-the-system activism has halted. “The group that once positioned itself as a grassroots watchdog is now effectively tied to a single candidate” that preaches transparency. Does he practice what he preaches?
Presently, nothing can be found online about OurVoiceSC, except this article in the Holy City Sinner and this article in Myrtle Beach SC News. This PAC seems to be synonymous with MyVoiceSC, which is a nonprofit formed under Section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code, which grants tax-exempt status to organizations whose primary purpose is attempting to influence the election of one or more people to public office at the national, state or local level. This PAC funds DOGESC. MyVoiceSC’s organizational details and financial overview are detailed on ProPublica:
Although the DOGESC site still has a “Donate” link, it doesn’t go anywhere. It was disabled after March 22, although he filed for governor on March 16.
Questioning motives
Some question whether Reddy’s advocacy for judicial reform and governor-led control of the Judicial Merit Selection Commission (JMSC) was motivated by his early plans to run for governor, despite his claims that the advancement of judicial reforms “prompted” him to enter the race.
Regarding the “impromptu” decision to seek office, Reddy clarified,
Some question his advocacy of AI-Adaptive Learning2, Outcomes-Based Learning34, and further centralization of education:
Voters are invited to determine for themselves whether Reddy is genuinely the reformer he professes to be.
Wesley Donehue facts:
Republican digital marketing and public relations strategist and CEO of Push Digital Group and Laurens Group. He’s worked on the following campaigns:
Senators Lindsey Graham, David Perdue, and Tom Cotton
Representatives Nancy Mace, Trey Gowdy, Jim DeMint, Joe Wilson, Mark Sanford, Mike Bouchard (Michigan), and Todd Akin (Missouri)
He said he “fired” Nancy Mace after doing much work with her, when Mace asked him to “blackmail” her fiancé, amongst other things.
Presidential candidates Marco Rubio, Mitt Romney, Michelle Bachmann, and Herschel Walker
He allegedly created an unauthorized, fake website for Mitt Romney’s opponent.
Gubernatorial candidates Scott Honour (Minnesota) and Scott Walker (Wisconsin)
Former DOGESC chief strategist and advisor
Current Reddy for Governor Campaign Manager
Founder of the South Carolina Cannabis Association (SCCA), which advocates for the legal access to medical cannabis.
Currently a co-defendant in a lawsuit alleging that he was hired to create fake social media posts to harm Paul Murdaugh’s victim’s family (Mallory Beach), as well as leaked photos and confidential mediation materials in order to weaken the family’s resolve in their wrongful death claims against Parker’s Kitchen Gas Stations and the Murdaugh’s.