Congressman Joe Wilson to Co-Chair ONE Campaign in S.C.
Republican congressman joins effort to rally presidential hopefuls in the fight against global AIDS, malaria and hunger
Columbia, SC — Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC) joined South Carolina’s ONE Vote ’08 campaign today, signing on as Republican co-chair to help lead the movement to make the fight against diseases such as AIDS and malaria a key foreign policy issue in the 2008 South Carolina presidential primary.
As Republican co-chair for ONE Vote ’08 in the state, Wilson will talk with candidates and voters about the need for America’s next president to take the lead in ending global poverty and preventable disease in the developing world. Wilson brings a wealth of experience in South Carolina politics to ONE Vote ’08, having served 17 years in the South Carolina Senate before being elected to congress in 2001.
“I am honored to be named co-chair of South Carolina’s ONE Vote ’08 campaign,” said Congressman Joe Wilson. “This nation has made great strides in our global struggle against AIDS, malaria and hunger. But there remains a tremendous amount of work to be done. We must remain dedicated to fighting these deadly diseases and bringing food and medicine to the millions around the world who so desperately need our help. Any candidate for president must be committed to leading this nation towards meeting those goals.”
“I am looking forward to working with Congressman Wilson on these important issues. Together, I the Congressman and I will do our utmost to bring attention to ONE Vote ’08 during the South Carolina primary season,” said former Governor Jim Hodges, South Carolina ONE Vote ’08 co-chair.
In South Carolina alone, ONE Vote ’08 is mobilizing more than 15,000 ONE members this primary season, encouraging the presidential candidates to make commitments to address issues such as the lack of clean water and basic education worldwide at campaign stops, debates, town halls and coffee shops across the state. Wilson will join former Governor Jim Hodges to organize and promote ONE’s message in the state.
An unprecedented $30 million effort with political experts, high-profile faith leaders and national security experts behind it, ONE Vote ’08 is focusing on South Carolina and the other early primary states — Iowa, Nevada, and New Hampshire — to build a grassroots movement to encourage America’s next president to save lives and secure America’s future. ONE Vote ’08 is co-chaired nationally by former Senate Majority Leaders Bill Frist and Tom Daschle.