South Carolina gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2026
|
← 2022
|
| Governor and Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina |
|---|
 |
| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: March 30, 2026 |
| Primary: June 9, 2026 Primary runoff: June 23, 2026 General: November 3, 2026 |
| How to vote |
| Poll times:
7 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Race ratings |
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican Inside Elections: Solid Republican |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2026 Impact of term limits in 2026 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026 |
| South Carolina executive elections |
| Governor Lieutenant Governor |
South Carolina is holding an election for governor and lieutenant governor on November 3, 2026. The primary is June 9, 2026, and a primary runoff is June 23, 2026. The filing deadline was March 30, 2026.
In South Carolina, the gubernatorial nominee is selected in the primary. The gubernatorial nominee then chooses a lieutenant gubernatorial running mate, and they run together on a single ticket in the general election.
This is one of 36 gubernatorial elections taking place in 2026. The governor serves as a state's top executive official and is the only executive office elected in all 50 states. There are currently 26 Republican governors and 24 Democratic governors. Click here for an overview of all 36 gubernatorial elections taking place in 2026.
Heading into the 2026 elections, there are 23 Republican trifectas, 16 Democratic trifectas, and 11 divided governments where neither party holds trifecta control. There are 24 Republican triplexes, 21 Democratic triplexes, and five divided governments where neither party holds triplex control.
A state government trifecta refers to a situation where one party controls a state's governorship and majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. A state government triplex refers to a situation where the governor, attorney general, and secretary of state are all members of the same political party. For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:
- South Carolina gubernatorial election, 2026 (June 9 Democratic primary)
- South Carolina gubernatorial election, 2026 (June 9 Republican primary)
Candidates and election results
Governor
General election
The primary will occur on June 9, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. Additional general election candidates will be added here following the primary.
General election for Governor of South Carolina
Walid Hakim is running in the general election for Governor of South Carolina on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Walid Hakim (G)  | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of South Carolina
Justin A. Bennett, Jermaine Johnson, Mullins McLeod, and Billy Webster are running in the Democratic primary for Governor of South Carolina on June 9, 2026.
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of South Carolina
The following candidates are running in the Republican primary for Governor of South Carolina on June 9, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Pamela Evette | |
| Jacqueline Hicks DuBose | ||
 | Josh Kimbrell | |
 | Nancy Mace | |
 | Ralph Norman | |
| Rom Reddy | ||
 | Alan Wilson | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Thomas Ravenel (R)
Lieutenant Governor
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
General election for Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina
Mike Reichenbach is running in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Mike Reichenbach (R) | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Pamela Evette (R)
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
Survey responses from candidates in this race
Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
| Collapse all
Walid Hakim (G)
For too long, this state has been run at our expense to benefit the wealthy, tax evading, powerfully connected elites — but never for us. The Democrat-Republican establishment has left our families struggling, our workers overlooked, over taxed and our communities divided.
I’m running for governor because South Carolina deserves a government as strong, honest, and hardworking as its people. This is not a campaign of left versus right. This is the people versus the political class. This is top vs the bottom!
And together, we are going to actually build a South Carolina for the people of South Carolina!
If you want a strong state, you don’t cut education—you flood it!
Every child will have a healthy, no-cost breakfast and lunch available to them, provided by the good people of South Carolina. Every school will phase in quality childcare. Staffed, funded, and expanded to serve all SC residents.
After implementing full-service childcare across the state, we will evolve into a year-round school year, not adding any days to the school calendar but breaking up the summer break across the calendar. This will cut down on the necessity for review at the beginning of each school year, allowing every student to graduate high school upon completion of the 10th grade. 11th and 12th grade will be spent pursuing trade school or an associate degree
INFRASTRUCTURE & LONG-TERM PLANNING
High-Quality Infrastructure
• End “lowest-bidder, lowest-quality” contracting. • Require high-grade, long-lasting materials for roads, bridges, and public works. • Save billions by reducing constant repairs and failures.
100-Year Plan for South Carolina
• Ensure environmental, economic, and educational sustainability for the next century. • Protect remaining forests and green spaces, managed jointly with SC tribal nations.
Mass Transit + High-Speed Rail
• Build high-speed rail connecting major SC cities.• Solar-powered, free-to-ride buses to reduce congestion and save hundreds of millions.
Walid Hakim (G)
Voting information
- See also: Voting in South Carolina
General election race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[1]
- Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[2][3][4]
| Race ratings: South Carolina gubernatorial election, 2026 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| 4/7/2026 | 3/31/2026 | 3/24/2026 | 3/17/2026 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week. | |||||||||
Past elections
The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2014.
2022
General election
General election for Governor of South Carolina
Incumbent Henry McMaster defeated Joe Cunningham and Morgan Bruce Reeves in the general election for Governor of South Carolina on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Henry McMaster (R) | 58.0 | 988,501 |
 | Joe Cunningham (D) | 40.7 | 692,691 | |
 | Morgan Bruce Reeves (L) | 1.2 | 20,826 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 1,174 | ||
| Total votes: 1,703,192 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Jokie Beckett Jr. (Independence Party)
- Michael Copland (Independence Party)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of South Carolina
Joe Cunningham defeated Mia McLeod, Carlton Boyd, William Williams, and Calvin McMillan in the Democratic primary for Governor of South Carolina on June 14, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Joe Cunningham | 56.4 | 102,473 |
 | Mia McLeod | 31.1 | 56,406 | |
 | Carlton Boyd | 5.3 | 9,579 | |
 | William Williams | 3.8 | 6,829 | |
 | Calvin McMillan | 3.5 | 6,303 | |
| Total votes: 181,590 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of South Carolina
Incumbent Henry McMaster defeated Harrison Musselwhite in the Republican primary for Governor of South Carolina on June 14, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Henry McMaster | 83.3 | 306,543 |
 | Harrison Musselwhite | 16.7 | 61,462 | |
| Total votes: 368,005 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Al BellaVance (R)
- Mindy Steele (R)
Independence Party convention
Independence Party convention for Governor of South Carolina
Jokie Beckett Jr. and Michael Copland advanced from the Independence Party convention for Governor of South Carolina on May 27, 2022.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Jokie Beckett Jr. (Independence Party) | |
| ✔ |  | Michael Copland (Independence Party) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Labor Party convention
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Gary Votour (Labor Party)
Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for Governor of South Carolina
Morgan Bruce Reeves advanced from the Libertarian convention for Governor of South Carolina on June 18, 2022.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Morgan Bruce Reeves (L) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2018
General election
General election for Governor of South Carolina
Incumbent Henry McMaster defeated James Smith Jr. in the general election for Governor of South Carolina on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Henry McMaster (R) | 54.0 | 921,342 |
 | James Smith Jr. (D) | 45.9 | 784,182 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 2,045 | ||
| Total votes: 1,707,569 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Martin Barry (American Party)
Republican primary runoff election
Republican primary runoff for Governor of South Carolina
Incumbent Henry McMaster defeated John Warren in the Republican primary runoff for Governor of South Carolina on June 26, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Henry McMaster | 53.6 | 184,286 |
| John Warren | 46.4 | 159,349 | ||
| Total votes: 343,635 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of South Carolina
James Smith Jr. defeated Marguerite Willis and Phil Noble in the Democratic primary for Governor of South Carolina on June 12, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | James Smith Jr. | 61.8 | 148,633 |
 | Marguerite Willis | 27.5 | 66,248 | |
 | Phil Noble | 10.6 | 25,587 | |
| Total votes: 240,468 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of South Carolina
Incumbent Henry McMaster and John Warren advanced to a runoff. They defeated Catherine Templeton, Kevin Bryant, and John McGill in the Republican primary for Governor of South Carolina on June 12, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Henry McMaster | 42.3 | 155,723 |
| ✔ | John Warren | 27.8 | 102,390 | |
 | Catherine Templeton | 21.4 | 78,705 | |
 | Kevin Bryant | 6.7 | 24,790 | |
 | John McGill | 1.7 | 6,375 | |
| Total votes: 367,983 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2014
Republican incumbent Nikki Haley won re-election on November 4, 2014.
| Governor of South Carolina, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Nikki Haley Incumbent |
55.9% | 696,645 | |
| Democratic | Vincent Sheheen | 41.4% | 516,166 | |
| Libertarian | Steve French | 1.2% | 15,438 | |
| Independent | Tom Ervin | 0.9% | 11,496 | |
| United Citizens | Morgan Reeves | 0.5% | 5,622 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.1% | 934 | |
| Total Votes | 1,246,301 | |||
| Election results via South Carolina State Election Commission | ||||
See also
| South Carolina | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Governor of South Carolina official website
- Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina official website
Footnotes
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
