Carrigan Woodson

Summer Fellow

The 2026 Election Cycle is Already Underway in South Carolina. Here’s What You Need to Know.

Quality of Life
August 12, 2025

Carrigan Woodson

Summer Fellow

On November 3, 2026, South Carolina will hold its next gubernatorial General election. In other words, a new individual will be selected as the Palmetto State’s 119th governor next year. And the race is already making the headlines, over a year out! 

Governor Henry McMaster, the incumbent, will not be able to run again due to term limits. In January 2027, he will not only have completed two consecutive terms as governor, in addition to serving the last two years of former Governor Nikki Haley’s second term. McMaster served as her lieutenant governor when she was appointed to the position of U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations in 2017. McMaster has held the governorship longer than anyone in South Carolina history, and he is also the oldest governor to serve. 

Why this election is important 

The Governor of South Carolina has the supreme executive authority of this state, according to the South Carolina Constitution. Constitutional powers of the governor include: 

  • Budget priorities: The governor proposes the state’s budget to the legislature each January, influencing spending priorities across all state agencies. 
  • Legislative authority: The governor can veto bills passed by the General Assembly, including the power of a line-item veto on budget items. 
  • Executive authority: The governor can call special legislative sessions, command the state’s National Guard, and issue executive orders. 
  • Judicial role in sentencing: The governor may commute a death sentence to life in prison and issue temporary reprieves. 
  • Judicial selection: With recent reforms, the Governor has appointments to the Judicial Merit Selection Commission (JMSC) 
  • Emergency powers: During declared emergencies, the governor can issue regulations with the force of law. 

While the state’s “long ballot” system means many key positions, such as attorney general, treasurer, and superintendent of education are elected separately, a governor’s budgetary influence, public platform, and ability to work with the legislature make the role highly consequential. The candidate elected in 2026 will set the tone for South Carolina’s policy direction, emergency response, and statewide leadership for four years. 

The first step in the election process is filing for office with a particular political party or as a petition candidate. The second step is the primary election. When party primary elections take place next June, voters will decide which candidates will make it on the general election ballot in November. 

What is a primary election? 

During primary elections, voters who identify with a specific political party have the opportunity to select a candidate to represent their party in the general election. The candidates who win in the Democratic and Republican primary will run against each other in the General election. The primaries for SC governor will take place June 9, 2026.  

In the selection of running mates (candidates for lieutenant governor), South Carolina has a slim history. Governor and Lieutenant Governor candidates ran as a “ticket” for the first time only in 2018. For that election, the candidates for governor chose their running mates before the primary election rather than waiting until the General elections season. This is different from the federal system, though some candidates for president have chosen running mates while still campaigning for their respective party nominations. 

Open vs closed primary 

South Carolina uses an open primary system. 

In a truly Open primary, voters do not have to declare association with a specific political party when they register to vote, and the primaries are open to any registered voter who chooses to participate in that primary. If you, for example, feel like a Republican on Primary election day or if you want to influence the outcome of a Democratic Primary, there is no bar to your participation in whichever primary you wish.  

In a fully Closed primary, you must choose a party when you register to vote and if you participate in a primary, it must be for the one of your registration. Fifty-five South Carolina House members are cosponsors on a bill that would change our primary system to being closed, but thus far, the bill has not received a committee hearing. 

Fully open and totally closed are not the only primary options in the United States, however; there are variations between these two systems. There is a Semi-Open Primary system, a Semi-Closed Primary system, and a free for all Multiparty Primary system.  

Semi-Open Primary system 

  • In this system, voters may participate in either the Democratic or Republican primary without being officially registered with that party. However, the party a voter chooses to participate in may count as registration with that party for future elections. 

Semi-Closed Primary system 

  • Under these rules, political parties decide whether independent (unaffiliated) voters can participate in their primary. However, voters registered with a specific party must vote in that party’s primary. 

Multiparty primary system 

  • Some states hold a single primary where all candidates, regardless of party, appear on the same ballot, and the top candidates advance to the general election. 

For in-person voters to vote in the gubernatorial primary, the voter registration deadline is May 8, 2026, and May 10, 2026 for individuals who choose to cast their ballot by mail.  

Early in-person voting will be available for both the primary and general elections starting on the Monday, 15 days before Election Day, and running through the Friday before the election. Voters will be able to participate from 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. 

Who is currently running for Governor in the Republican Primary? 

Who is currently running for Governor in the Democratic Primary? 

Other candidates have launched exploratory committees, but to date, McLeod remains the only Democrat in the race.

Other Elections on the ballot for the 2026 Election Cycle 

Not only will South Carolina voters be able to select a Governor in 2026, but they will also be able to vote for other statewide Constitutional Officers, federal offices, and local offices. Federally, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, who has served in the US Senate since 2003 will be up for re-election, and every Congressional seat will be on the ballot.

Unlike the United States Senate, which elects one-third of its members every two years, like eleven other states, the South Carolina Senate is elected simultaneously every four years. The South Carolina Senate is “off-cycle” in 2026, meaning the next election for the “upper house” will be in 2028. Therefore, a South Carolina Senator may run for an office in 2026 and not risk giving up his or her Senate seat.  

South Carolina does not elect judges, public service commissioners, an insurance commissioner or statewide education offices such as higher education commissioners or the state school board. Further, local election calendars may vary and not be on standardized dates, a change that Palmetto Promise hopes to see legislators pass in 2026.

The following seats will be on the ballot in 2026: 

Statewide constitutional offices include: 

  • Governor 
  • Attorney General 
  • Treasurer 
  • State Superintendent of Education 
  • Commissioner of Agriculture 
  • Comptroller General 

Federal offices: 

  • U.S. Senate seat currently held by Lindsey Graham 
  • All South Carolina U.S. House seats 

Local Offices: 

  • Circuit Solicitor – chief prosecutor for a judicial circuit 
  • Sheriff – county law enforcement head  
  • Clerk of Court – manages court records and proceedings  
  • Probate Judge – handles wills, estates, and some mental health cases  
  • Coroner – investigates deaths within the county  
  • Auditor – oversees property tax records and assessments  
  • Treasurer – manages county finances and tax collection  
  • Register of Deeds – maintains public records of real estate transactions  
  • County Council members – legislative body for county government  
  • Municipal offices – legislative body for city and town governments (election dates vary)
  • School Board Trustees and local Boards of Education – oversee local public schools and district policy (election dates vary)  
  • Soil & Water Conservation District and Fire District (“Special Purpose District”) Commissioners – manage conservation programs Other local boards/commissions – such as fire district, watershed district, or public service district boards

Although local these offices may not grab as many headlines as the governorship, they often have a more direct impact on residents’ daily lives. From public safety to local zoning decisions, voting for any candidate to have influence in your state may affect lives in a million different ways that you may not realize. 

Voting in every race, not just the top of the ticket, ensures your voice is heard at every level of government. The 2026 election is an opportunity to choose leaders who reflect your priorities, represent your community, and make decisions that will affect South Carolina for years to come. You can start the process of registering to vote here.  

Note: The State Constitution was amended in the 2024 General Election to require national and state citizenship to vote in a South Carolina election.