Democratic billionaire and presidential hopeful Tom Steyer pledged to push the minimum wage to $22 if he wins the White House in November, The Hill reports.
His announcement was made during a campaign block party on Sunday in South Carolina.
The current minimum wage rate has remained at $7.25 per hour at a federal level for the past decade, though 29 states and Washington have increased it to compete with higher costs of living.
Steyer’s minimum wage plan is set much higher than what most politicians and activists are currently calling for. Candidates like former Vice President Joe Biden and Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) advocate a $15 per hour minimum wage.
Politico reports, over the past eight months, Steyer and his campaign have spent $14 million on advertisements throughout South Carolina, and he sees the state as crucial to his campaign’s success as his fellow candidates focus on the New Hampshire primary.