Political pundits keep asking — are we in an anti-incumbent or an anti-Democrat year? I think we are in an anti-status quo year. It could include Republicans, Democrats or incumbents who believe we should keep doing things they way they’ve always been done.

We have to accept the premise that Republicans were in charge when things started declining, and that’s because too many Republicans put their faith in government instead of people.

We have to get back to the roots of conservatism and demand that our elected officials stay true to our conservative Republican platform.

Nationally, we’ve seen what happens when the keys of government are handed over to people who don’t trust in the essential power of the individual to know what’s best for themselves. Instead, they’re growing government, restricting business and spending, spending, spending.

Now our country is socked with a ballooning debt, a big-government takeover of health care and in general, a fiscal mess that’s going to take a lot of hard work to turn around. Fortunately, here in South Carolina we have Republican leaders who are working to bring business to our state and keep the financial house in order.

And it’s done by using a formula that’s so simple, it’s amazing that’s it’s not universally followed: cut spending, limit government, reduce regulations. A lot of folks in Washington think that they know better than you about what to do. Conservatives know that what works best is letting people control their own destiny and putting trust into market-based solutions.

Announced in October of last year, the arrival of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner facility to North Charleston happened for several reasons. One was laying the groundwork – years of South Carolina conservatives creating a pro-business environment. Another was the coordinated work of state Republican leadership to bring in the plant. According to a recent study, it will mean $6.1 billion dollars annually for the state economy, and thousands of jobs created by vendors who will service the facility.

On May 19, Adidas opened a distribution center in Spartanburg County. This isn’t your average distribution center. It’s slated to employ 1,200 people and is Adidas’ largest hub for its shoes and clothing products in the world.

Change is happening – the right sort of change. To keep progress going, we have to continue electing conservative Republicans in positions up and down the ballot. But before the November elections, there’s the process of picking the right nominees in the primary on June 8. This year, we have a grand opportunity to get back to the basics and put a strong crop of conservatives in office. And in our state, the cupboard is well-stocked.

We have a fantastic slate of candidates in the Republican primary. Each of them can make the case of why they are the one who will base their decisions on conservative principles. I simply ask that you support the candidates who you personally believe will hold personal responsibility above big government.