By admin 
Democratic challenger Zyon Khalifa and longtime Republican U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson are competing to represent the 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House.
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The 2nd Congressional District encompasses Lexington, Aiken and Barnwell counties, in addition to portions of Richland and Orangeburg.
Khalifa is running to represent the 2nd Congressional District for the first time. He beat back four primary opponents in June and won the nomination in the Democratic runoff by about 7.5 percentage points.
The challenger was born in Aiken and attended the University of South Carolina, where he was on the track team, according to his campaign. He also graduated from the Southern University Law Center in Louisiana.
Wilson, a Republican, was first elected to the U.S. House in 2001. He sits on the House Arms Services Committee, Committee on Foreign Affairs and Committee on Education and the Workforce. Wilson also served in the state Senate for 17 years.
Election Day is Nov. 3. Early voting is open Oct. 19 through Oct. 31, Monday through Saturday.
The State sent questions to Khalifa and Wilson about their views on topics like artificial intelligence and the national debt. Both candidates responded in emails. Responses were edited for length, clarity and style.
Why should people vote for you?
Khalifa: Joe Wilson has served 14 terms in office, and he seems to be more interested in serving the District of Columbia than District 2. While people are having to choose between gas and groceries, between paying their light bill and paying their health insurance, he is only interested in rubber-stamping policies like the tariff taxes and another forever war that are increasing costs for everyone. Joe is more interested in putting the President on a $250 bill than making sure South Carolinians can cover a $250 emergency car repair. South Carolinians deserve better, and I plan to serve them rather than Washington outsiders.
Wilson: I am a lifelong South Carolinian, a retired Colonel from the Army National Guard, and have devoted my life to serving my state and my country. I raised my four sons here with my wife Roxanne, where we saw them flourish to all become Eagle Scouts as well as officers in the military.
I am proud to champion conservative values in Congress, and to work closely with my fellow legislators to promote peace through strength, the creation of jobs, and putting limits on the size and scope of the federal government.
You should vote for me because I have the experience, the relationships and the drive to continue delivering results for the people of Lexington, Aiken, Barnwell, Orangeburg and Richland counties.
What guardrails, if any, should the federal government put on the growth of artificial intelligence?
Khalifa: We know artificial intelligence is here to stay, and certainly there are benefits to be had from it. From cures for cancer to new ways to protect the environment, artificial intelligence can make life better. But it can also make it worse.
The current administration is pushing AI developers to remove safeguards from AI to allow autonomous decision-making in war. You don’t have to imagine the harm that could do. Just look at the decision-making of self-driving cars and then imagine that as a self-guided bomb headed toward civilians.
We have already had cases of AI attacking other AIs. So the government needs to make certain we have oversight of the development of these systems and that we encourage guardrails to keep our citizens safe.
We also need to have more reasonable development of data centers. We can’t allow these centers to be built without regard to our energy infrastructure, our environment and the health of the people living near them.
Wilson: America has led the world in technological innovation for well over 100 years — from the airplane, to nuclear energy, the internet and beyond, and it is vital to national security that America lead in artificial intelligence as well.
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AI can provide a large boost to economic productivity to the benefit of American families, and we cannot allow China to win the global AI race. I am grateful that the House of Representatives has just passed the “Ratepayer Protection Act,” which protects American ratepayers from higher costs associated with energy demands of data centers and large-load technology infrastructure.
My colleagues and I will continue to work closely with the private sector in limiting the ability of bad actors to use this technology to do harm through numerous pieces of legislation that are advancing through the committee process and await further consideration.
What authority should Congress exert on starting or continuing an international military conflict?
Khalifa: Congress has a responsibility to determine which conflicts warrant the use of our military and our resources, but Joe [Wilson] has consistently voted against the War Powers resolutions put forward to provide checks and balances on the current war in Iran.
Like me, Joe [Wilson] is a veteran, so he knows our service members deserve better than to be sent haphazardly into harm’s way. Instead, he rubber-stamps any excuse the administration gives for the war.
South Carolina deserves a Congressman who will do the work they elected him to do, including providing the checks and balances our Founding Fathers intended.
Wilson: Congress already has inherent powers to allocate or restrict spending during times of conflict. The executive branch retains the authority to act in the event of imminent national security threats.
How should Congress address ongoing affordability issues?
Khalifa: We can do several things immediately to improve costs for everyday South Carolinians. We can end the disastrous tariffs that have driven up costs for everyone. We can end the unauthorized war in Iran that has driven up gas costs, which in turn makes everything more expensive. We can temporarily roll back gas taxes until the economy stabilizes.
Wilson: As a congressman, my primary responsibility is to my constituents. When looking at gas prices, I am proud to join my friend [U.S. Rep.] Russell Fry in calling for the temporary suspension of the federal gas tax which supports the work Attorney General Alan Wilson is doing as he calls for a similar suspension of the state gas tax.
With cost-of-living increases, I strive to bring high paying jobs to the district to provide people with jobs that pay them at rates that keep up with or exceed these rising costs. I was grateful to work with my congressional colleagues in securing passage of the “Working Families Tax Cuts,” landmark legislation that cuts taxes, cuts spending and provides pro-growth policies that will spur businesses and create jobs.
In July, the bipartisan, bicameral, “21st Century ROAD to Housing Act,” became law, reducing unnecessary regulatory barriers to new home construction, modernizing HUD programs, addressing concerns about large investors unfairly competing with individual homebuyers, and enabling community banks to more freely deploy funding.
How should Congress address federal government spending (debt, deficit, Social Security)?
Khalifa: I would support several ways to deal with government spending. First, I would roll back the tax cuts on billionaires. I would make the middle-class tax cuts permanent rather than allowing them to expire once the Republicans get past the midterms.
I would end the cap on Social Security. It is unthinkable that someone making $184,500 a year pays the same into Social Security as someone making $5 million a year.
Wilson: The most pressing issue surrounding federal spending is the rampant fraud, waste and abuse of our tax dollars. House Republicans are working to eliminate wasteful spending and expose fraud. I am grateful that House Republicans passed the “Rescissions Act of 2025” which targets wasteful spending, holds agencies accountable, implements Congressional oversight, and more. I am committed to a strong, stable economy grounded in responsible spending and predictable budgeting.
I advocate for policies that rein in Washington’s waste, protect taxpayers, and put the country on a path to a genuinely balanced budget. With more responsible federal spending, we are able to save your tax dollars and spend in ways that deliver better results.
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The candidates are listed alphabetically by last name.