Gubernatorial candidate Joe Cunningham of South Carolina yesterday tweeted his contempt for Confederate Memorial Day, a day honored annually in the state on May 10.
While some states, including Texas, commemorate this day, South Carolina, Alabama, and Mississippi recognize it as an official holiday.
Today, state offices are closed to observe Confederate Memorial Day. This is another example of how our state continues to live in the past. Honestly, it’s embarrassing.
When I am Governor, we will end Confederate Memorial Day and make Election Day a holiday instead.
— Joe Cunningham (@JoeCunninghamSC) May 10, 2022
For this reason, state offices are closed for the day, in addition to schools and universities.
Cunningham called the holidays in his tweet “embarrassing” and another example of South Carolina “living in the past.”
He said in his post that if he became governor he would end the vacation and do election day instead.
Additionally, he added other actions he pledges to take if he wins, such as the legalization of marijuana.
The current Governor, Governor Henry McMaster, did not acknowledge or mention the holiday on Tuesday. Instead, he hosted the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce at the governor’s mansion to talk with local businesses and a way forward in their communities.
Confederate Memorial Day became a state holiday in 2000, more than 156 years after the Confederate States lost the Civil War and surrendered to the Union Army.
