Red Elephant Podcast

Jonathan Jones has 22 years of experience in emergency response training and operations. He has spent the last 15 years with the Clarendon County Fire Department, and has served as the Deputy Chief of Operations for the Clarendon County Fire Department since 2014.

A former president of the S.C. State Firefighters Association, Jones has spent his career serving South Carolina in fire and emergency response.

He is a member of the S.C. Firefighters' Hall of Fame and a recipient of the S.C. Fire Service Educator of the Year award and the Meritorious Action Award. Jones is a graduate of the University of South Carolina-Aiken where he graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration.

Website: https://www.momsforliberty.org/

Moms for Liberty welcomes all that have a desire to stand up for parental rights at all levels of government.

Our founders are Tiffany and Tina, moms on a mission to stoke the fires of liberty.  As former school board members, they witnessed how short-sighted and destructive policies directly hurt children and families. Now they are using their first-hand knowledge and experience to unite parents who are ready to fight those that stand in the way of liberty.

Moms for Liberty is dedicated to fighting for the survival of America by unifying, educating and empowering parents to defend their parental rights at all levels of government.

Website: https://www.fbcturbeville.com/

Website: https://www.sumterpregnancycenter.com/

Pastor Ryan Glosson

​Pastor Ryan has been at Turbeville First Baptist since December of 2019. He is married to Felicia and they have three boys and a girl -- Dillon (20), Connor (10), Colby (8) and DeLani Grace (3). 

Website: https://www.voteforduke.com/

Born and raised in Walterboro, South Carolina, Mr. Buckner is a 1990 graduate of Walterboro High School and a 1994 Graduate of South Carolina State University in English Education. Mr. Buckner began his career as a 7th grade English teacher at Colleton Middle School. He also taught 11th grade American Literature at Walterboro High School. Mr. Buckner left the school system to start the first African-American owned and operated weekly newspaper in Colleton County. After serving as the newspaper’s managing editor for eight years, Mr. Buckner received his J.D. from Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in 2007.

As an attorney, Mr. Buckner began his legal career as a public defender fighting for the legal rights of indigent people in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He moved back home to Walterboro in 2009 and won a seat on the Walterboro City Council where he served on the Airport Commission.

When he is not practicing law, Mr. Buckner enjoys spending time with his wife and three children going to the movies, hanging out at the park, and attending church services at St. Peter's AME Church in Walterboro. Attorney Buckner also loves exercising, listening to music, playing his alto saxophone and helping others.

Website: https://agriculture.sc.gov/

Hugh E. Weathers has been serving as South Carolina’s Commissioner of Agriculture since September 2004.  Under Commissioner Weathers’ leadership, the Department has created the Certified SC Grown branding program to help consumers easily identify and purchase South Carolina products, while increasing market opportunities for farmers across the state. In 2009, Commissioner Weathers introduced the 50 by 20 goal to grow the economic impact of South Carolina agribusiness (agriculture and forestry) from $34 billion to $50 billion by the year 2020.

Under his guidance, the Department has also introduced the Agribusiness Center for Research and Entrepreneurship (ACRE), an industry-driven ag research initiative that seeks to provide additional economic prosperity for SC agribusiness from within the state and from across the globe. ACRE houses a unique research platform devoted to addressing specific challenges for industries that can provide more market opportunities to South Carolina agribusinesses and farmers.

Commissioner Weathers was born in, and still resides in, Bowman, South Carolina and is a fourth-generation farmer.  He graduated magna cum laude from the University of South Carolina in 1978, earning BS Degrees in Accounting and Finance.  He was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa in 1977.  Upon graduation, he was employed as a Corporate Banking Officer with C&S National Bank before returning to Weathers Farm.  He was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humanities in Public Service from the University of South Carolina in 2019.

The Commissioner serves on numerous local, state, and national agricultural, business, economic development, and banking committees and boards.  In 2011, he was inducted into the South Carolina Dairy Hall of Fame and has received numerous other awards and recognitions.

He is married to the former Blanche Gramling of Spartanburg County, who grew up on her family’s peach farm. They have three sons: Gill and his wife Elizabeth, Edward and his wife Anna, and Julius and his wife Sara, as well as three grandchildren. The Weathers are members of Orangeburg First Baptist Church.

Commissioner Weathers considers it a privilege to serve the citizens of South Carolina and to lead our state’s largest industry — agribusiness

South Carolina Secretary of State Mark Hammond grew up in Spartanburg, where he graduated from Dorman High School. He received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from Newberry College in 1986 and went on to obtain a Masters in Education from Clemson University in 1988.

Secretary Hammond completed special basic training at the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy in 1991 and worked as a Criminal Investigator, aiding prosecutors for the 7th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, until 1996.

Mark Hammond served as Spartanburg County's Clerk of Court from 1997 to 2002. On November 5th, 2002, he was elected as South Carolina's 41st Secretary of State. Voters returned Secretary Hammond to office in 2006, 2010, 2014, and most recently in 2018.

Secretary Hammond is dedicated to efficiency, accountability, transparency and customer service. Some of his more notable successes as Secretary of State include:

Secretary Hammond is an ex-officio member of the South Carolina Consumer Affairs Commission and Legislative Council. He has served as the liaison to the Notary Public Administrators (NPA) section of the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS), where he also chaired, co-chaired or served on the International Relations Committee, the Standing Committee on Business Services, and the Company Formation Task Force. Secretary Hammond was named an Outstanding Alumnus by the South Carolina Shrine Bowl for Public Service in 2006; named a Henry Toll Fellow by the Council of State Governments; a recipient of the Sesquicentennial Medal of Honor Award - Outstanding Alumni by Newberry College in 2007; served as a trustee for Spartanburg Methodist College from 2009 - 2015; was honored with NASS’s Medallion Award in 2017 for his outstanding service and longtime leadership support; and in 2019 he was inducted into the South Atlantic Conference Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Alumnus (Newberry College).

On a personal note, Secretary Hammond and his wife Ginny have three children. The Hammonds are members of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Spartanburg.

Richard Eckstrom, a CPA, has served as South Carolina's Comptroller General since 2003. As the State’s Chief Accountant, he has championed fiscal restraint, accountability and transparency in all government financial transactions.

Website: https://cg.sc.gov/

Fiscal Transparency Website: https://cg.sc.gov/fiscal-transparency

From 1994 to 1998, Eckstrom served as State Treasurer. Eckstrom is the first CPA to have held each of the financial positions of State Treasurer and Comptroller General. Prior to being elected Treasurer, he was a practicing CPA with an international accounting firm.

Eckstrom is a graduate of the University of South Carolina. Following his graduation in 1970, he was commissioned in the Navy and conducted Oceanographic Research for three years. Upon completion of military service, he earned an MBA and a Master of Accountancy from the University of South Carolina School of Business. While a graduate student he also joined the Navy Reserve, retiring as a Captain in 1995.

In 2004 Eckstrom accepted a commission in the S.C. State Guard. In 2011 he became its commanding general and served in that role until retiring in 2014 at the rank of Major General.

Link: https://www.palmettofamily.org/

Mitch is a passionate leader with a vision to connect pastors and equip them to engage the culture. Mitch is a gifted communicator and a strong voice for biblical values. He has been a part of state, local and federal election campaigns for nearly 20 years. Mitch served as the Director of Political and Policy Advancement for the Family Policy Alliance of Georgia before moving back to South Carolina in 2019. Mitch has a unique perspective concerning pastors and political engagement, since he has served as both a pastor and a political advisor.

Website: https://scfrm.org/

Douglas “Doug” P. Speer, was born in 1956 in New York City, moved to the Triple Cities area of the upstate region and grew up in a small community of Apalachin. After graduating from Vestal Senior High School Mr. Speer attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte graduating in 1980. Doug spent the next 15 years in law enforcement with the Mecklenburg and City of Charlotte Police Departments. Doug is approaching the conclusion of a full second career as a Certified Fraud Examiner working for a nationally recognized insurance company. Doug has a passion for Conservative Republican political positions and policies. Doug’s grassroots involvement started in the early 70’s as President of the Tioga County (NY) Teenage Republicans as well as going door to door in ‘72 for President Richard M. Nixon. Doug’s involvement in National and Local campaigns is approaching 50 years of experience in Republican grassroots building. Early in 2021 Doug planted the seeds for his biggest venture into grassroots building by forming the South Carolina Federation of Republican Men. The largest statewide men’s organization the State of South Carolina has witnessed in decades. The organization is as strong and effective as those gentlemen listed below who have stepped up to join and apply their own passion, respect, love of God and County to the SCFRM. There are no limits!

Doug and his wife Deb were married in 2019 and reside in Camden, SC.

Website: https://www.votetruckerbob.com/

Trucker Bob's Bio:

Born November 5th, 1965 in Petersburg Virginia south of Richmond, and have called South Carolina my home since I moved to Simpsonville in 1997. I’ve been a Republican since I can remember, and I love South Carolina and what our constitution stands for. One of my most cherished memories is when I accompanied my mother, Brenda Musselwhite, to President Reagan’s Inaugural Ball in 1981.

I married my lovely wife Sharon in 1983 and managed the family furniture business in Virginia for over a decade, as we were blessed with a beautiful family of 7 children. During this time, I was also blessed to work along side Sam Walton of Walmart.

In 1997, I fell in love with South Carolina and moved to Simpsonville, where I started my own furniture business, Mattress World,  that spanned multiple states across the South East. My wife Sharon came down with a fatal lung disease, Sarcoidosis, and I had to make a choice between taking care of my wife and family, or my business, so I closed my business and took care of my family.

It’s because of my wife and her illness that I know the power of God first hand. The doctors said that she would never survive her illness, but I took care of her and we prayed. One day after many years of living with this terrible illness, she said that she felt like the nodules on her lungs were gone, and much to my joyous surprise, the doctors confirmed this. For us it was a miracle, and I’ve felt the calling to serve my fellow man ever since.

After the Good Lord healed my wife, I went back to school at Destiny Bible College in Greenville South Carolina, where I specialized in bringing Christian values and ethics to business, and I decided to change careers and become a truck driver, delivering bulk chemicals nationwide, which is how I came by the name of Trucker Bob.

After watching the outcome of the last presidential election and the overreach of the federal government since then, I felt the calling to become more active in our community politics. I’m currently serving as the Chairman of the Legislative Committee for the Greenville County Republican party, where I work closely with our South Carolina state Legislators to create Fair and Just legislation that protects the rights of ALL South Carolina citizens.

After a number of my good friends passed away this year because they were unable to get the medical treatments they needed, I worked directly with our legislators to establish Monoclonal Antibody sites here in South Carolina, to save lives. I’m very proud to say that at least 6 peoples’ lives in our own Greenville County Republican party were saved by these treatments, and many thousands more across South Carolina.

I wasn’t seeking to run for a higher office, provided that our representatives were respecting the rights of We The People and adhering to our Constitution, but when Governor McMaster broke his promise to We The People once again after saying that he would go to the “gates of hell” to defend our rights against the overreach from the federal government, I was called to say No More and announce my candidacy, along with my Lieutenant Governor ZOE Warren, for South Carolina Governor because We The People deserve better.