2026 South Carolina gubernatorial election

2026 South Carolina gubernatorial election

The 2026 South Carolina gubernatorial election is scheduled to take place on November 3, 2026, to elect the next governor of South Carolina. The primary elections will take place on June 9, and in races where no candidate receives over 50% in a primary, runoff elections will take place on June 23. Incumbent governor Henry McMaster is term-limited and cannot seek a third full consecutive term. He took office on January 24, 2017, upon the resignation of fellow Republican Nikki Haley to become ambassador to the United Nations under the first Trump administration. He was re-elected to full terms in (/wiki/2018SouthCarolinagubernatorialelection) and (/wiki/2022SouthCarolinagubernatorialelection).

Democrats have not won a gubernatorial election in South Carolina since Jim Hodges was elected in (/wiki/1998SouthCarolinagubernatorialelection).

Republican primary

Declared

• Jacqueline Hicks DuBose, bus driver • Pamela Evette, lieutenant governor of South Carolina (2019–present) • Josh Kimbrell, state senator from the 11th district (2020–present) • Nancy Mace, U.S. representative from South Carolina's 1st congressional district (2021–present) and candidate for U.S. Senate in (/wiki/2014UnitedStatesSenateelectioninSouthCarolina) • Ralph Norman, U.S. representative from South Carolina's 5th congressional district (2017–present) • Rom Reddy, businessman • Alan Wilson, attorney general of South Carolina (2011–present) • Running mate: Mike Reichenbach, state senator from the 31st district (2022–present)

Withdrawn

• Thomas Ravenel, former state treasurer of South Carolina (2007), candidate for U.S. Senate in (/wiki/2004UnitedStatesSenateelectioninSouthCarolina) and independent candidate in (/wiki/2014UnitedStatesSenateelectioninSouthCarolina)

Declined

• Mark Sanford, former governor (2003–2011), U.S. representative from South Carolina's 1st congressional district (1995–2001, 2013–2019), and candidate for president in (/wiki/2020UnitedStatespresidentialelection) (running for congress)

Polling

Source of poll aggregation	Dates administered	Dates updated	Pamela Evette	Nancy Mace	Ralph Norman	Alan Wilson	Other/ Undecided	Margin
RealClearPolitics	October 2, 2025 – March 27, 2026	March 30, 2026	18.3%	18.5%	10.5%	16.3%	36.4%	Mace +0.2%
Race to the WH	through March 13, 2026	March 18, 2026	17.6%	20.7%	10.7%	19.8%	31.2%	Mace +0.9%
Decision Desk HQ	through March 27, 2026	March 30, 2026	18.5%	20.2%	11.2%	16.4%	33.7%	Mace +1.7%
Average	18.1%	19.8%	10.8%	17.5%	33.8%	Mace +1.7%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Pamela Evette	Josh Kimbrell	Nancy Mace	Ralph Norman	Alan Wilson	Other	Undecided
co/efficient (R)	March 26–27, 2026	805 (LV)	± 3.5%	19%	1%	18%	13%	15%	5%	30%
co/efficient (R)	March 12–13, 2026	810 (LV)	± 3.4%	21%	1%	22%	8%	19%	–	29%
Stratus Intelligence (R)	March 9–11, 2026	600 (LV)	± 4.0%	15%	–	24%	14%	18%	–	29%
Quantus Insights (R)	March 10–11, 2026	806 (LV)	± 3.5%	16%	3%	22%	11%	22%	–	26%
13%	2%	19%	9%	18%	–	39%
National Public Affairs (R)	February 2–5, 2026	800 (LV)	± 3.5%	16%	2%	17%	12%	23%	–	30%
Targoz Market Research/ South Carolina Policy Council	January 24 – February 1, 2026	540 (LV)	–	12%	4%	18%	11%	12%	–	43%
Trafalgar Group (R)	January 15–16, 2026	1,076 (LV)	± 2.9%	22%	2%	17%	10%	20%	–	29%
Stratus Intelligence (R)	January 7–9, 2026	700 (LV)	± 3.7%	14%	–	23%	11%	19%	–	32%
Wick	December 16–19, 2025	800 (LV)	± 3.5%	17%	2%	13%	13%	23%	–	33%
Wick	November 24–26, 2025	600 (LV)	± 4.0%	16%	2%	11%	12%	22%	–	38%
Winthrop University	October 2–19, 2025	1,331 (RV)	± 3.9%	16%	3%	17%	8%	8%	1%	47%
Quantus Insights (R)	October 1–4, 2025	600 (RV)	± 4.2%	17%	5%	16%	11%	16%	–	35%
22%	6%	20%	13%	23%	–	16%
Trafalgar Group (R)	September 30 – October 2, 2025	1,094 (LV)	± 2.9%	20%	1%	16%	9%	12%	–	41%
co/efficient (R)	September 18–19, 2025	1,094 (LV)	± 3.2%	18%	2%	19%	10%	16%	–	35%
Meeting Street Insights (R)	August 11–12, 2025	600 (LV)	± 4.0%	6%	3%	25%	10%	17%	–	38%
7%	4%	30%	12%	21%	–	26%
Targoz Market Research/ South Carolina Policy Council	July 21–25, 2025	1,200 (RV)	± 2.8%	8%	3%	16%	6%	15%	–	52%
yes. every kid. (D)	July 18–21, 2025	406 (LV)	± 4.86%	9%	3%	19%	8%	20%	2%	37%
First Tuesday Strategies (R)	March 19–21, 2025	500 (LV)	± 4.4%	7%	2%	16%	6%	21%	1%	47%
Trafalgar Group (R)	March 8–10, 2025	1,127 (LV)	± 2.9%	31%	–	29%	11%	27%	–	2%

Democratic primary

Declared

• Jermaine Johnson, state representative from the 80th district (2020–present) • William Mullins McLeod Jr., trial attorney and candidate for governor in (/wiki/2010SouthCarolinagubernatorialelection) • Billy Webster, former chief of staff for Richard Riley and businessman

Declined

• Russell Ott, state senator from the 26th district (2024–present)

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Jermaine Johnson	Mullins McLeod	Undecided
Targoz Market Research/ South Carolina Policy Council	January 24 – February 1, 2026	348 (LV)	–	25%	8%	67%

Third-parties and independents

Declared

• Gary Votour, South Carolina Workers Party, Democratic candidate for governor in (/wiki/2022SouthCarolinagubernatorialelection) • Walid Hakim, South Carolina Green Party, veteran • Michael Addison, United Citizens Party, Democratic candidate for South Carolina's 6th congressional district in (/wiki/2022UnitedStatesHouseofRepresentativeselectionsinSouthCarolina#District6); • Running mate: Candace Brewer, activist

General election

Predictions

<table><thead><tr><th>Source</th><th>Ranking</th><th>As of</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>The Cook Political Report</td><td>Solid R</td><td>September 11, 2025</td></tr><tr><td>Inside Elections</td><td>Solid R</td><td>August 28, 2025</td></tr><tr><td>Sabato's Crystal Ball</td><td>Safe R</td><td>September 4, 2025</td></tr><tr><td>Race to the WH</td><td>Likely R</td><td>January 28, 2026</td></tr></tbody></table>