South Carolina governor 2026

Compare candidates running in this South Carolina federal race. Review their positions, voting records, campaign promises, and donor information.

Walid Hakim

Party: Green

Josh Kimbrell

Party: Republican

Ralph Norman

Party: Republican

Pamela Evette

Party: Republican

Alan Wilson

Party: Republican

Nancy Mace

Party: Republican

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governor

South Carolina governor

Election: Nov 3, 2026Updated: Apr 10, 2026
safe r— Cook Political Report

South Carolina has not elected a Democrat to the governorship since 1998, making this a safe Republican seat. However, the open primary is shaping up as a competitive brawl among five major Republican candidates (Mace, Wilson, Evette, Norman, Kimbrell), with the winner determined in a potential runoff before facing the general election.

Walid HakimG
Josh KimbrellR
Ralph NormanR
Pamela EvetteR
Alan WilsonR
Nancy MaceR

Summary

Walid Hakim is the only Green Party candidate running in the 2026 South Carolina governor's race. He is a veteran who officially filed to run in the general election.

Josh Kimbrell is a state senator representing South Carolina's 11th District (Spartanburg County), first elected in 2020. He is a former Christian talk radio host and conservative activist. Kimbrell announced his gubernatorial campaign in late June 2025. His platform focuses on eliminating state income tax, expanding school choice, creating an Office of Parental Rights, and reducing regulations. However, his campaign has been overshadowed by multiple lawsuits alleging financial misconduct in his aviation chartering business.

Ralph Norman is a U.S. Representative from South Carolina's 5th Congressional District, serving since 2017. He is a longtime member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus. Norman is a wealthy real estate developer and longtime Nikki Haley ally. He announced his gubernatorial campaign in late July 2025, running to 'finally clean up Columbia.' His platform focuses on improvements to roads and schools, as well as term limits.

Pamela Evette has served as Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina since 2019 under Governor Henry McMaster. She is an upstate businesswoman who describes herself as a 'staunch Trump conservative.' Evette officially launched her gubernatorial campaign on March 26, 2026, becoming the third major candidate to enter the Republican primary. Her campaign has emphasized alignment with Trump administration priorities and conservative governance.

Alan Wilson is South Carolina's 51st Attorney General, first elected in 2010 and re-elected three times, making him the nation's longest-serving current Attorney General. He is a combat veteran who served in Iraq, earning the Combat Action Badge. Wilson has been a staunch conservative, defending South Carolina's voter ID law, challenging federal healthcare mandates, and actively opposing same-sex marriage. He announced his gubernatorial campaign in June 2025.

Nancy Mace is a three-term U.S. Representative from South Carolina's 1st Congressional District, serving since 2021. She was the first female cadet to graduate from The Citadel's Corps of Cadets. Mace has gained national attention for her outspoken conservative positions and willingness to challenge GOP leadership. She officially launched her gubernatorial campaign on August 4, 2025, framing herself as a 'firebrand' willing to fight for conservative principles.

View Walid Hakim's Full Profile →View Josh Kimbrell's Full Profile →View Ralph Norman's Full Profile →View Pamela Evette's Full Profile →View Alan Wilson's Full Profile →View Nancy Mace's Full Profile →

Campaign Promises

No campaign promises listed yet.

Economy
  • Eliminate state income tax
Education
  • Expand school choice
  • Create Office of Parental Rights
Other
  • Reduce regulations
Other
  • Improve roads and schools
  • Implement term limits
Economy
  • Eliminate state income tax
  • Limit Chinese companies' business presence in state
Other
  • Create government efficiency department
  • Restrict abortion and align with Trump agenda
Education
  • Education reform
Public-Safety
  • Child protection and AI exploitation prevention
Other
  • End gender-affirming care and birthright citizenship
  • Support Trump administration priorities
Economy
  • Cut state income tax to zero
Education
  • Ban pronouns in classrooms and restrict gender ideology in schools
  • End woke ideology in schools and state government
Immigration
  • Implement zero-tolerance immigration enforcement
Healthcare
  • Use Medicaid leverage to remove junk food from hospitals

Key Issue Positions

No key issues listed yet.

No key issues listed yet.

No key issues listed yet.

Abortion restrictions
Support for abortion restrictions aligned with Trump administration
Evette's platform aligns with Trump-era anti-abortion policies.
China policy
Restricting Chinese business presence in state
Part of her platform includes limiting Chinese companies' involvement in South Carolina.
Government efficiency
Create efficiency department and align with Trump priorities
Evette has tied her platform closely to Trump administration priorities.
Same-sex marriage
Opposition and legal defense of state bans
In 2014, Wilson asked the South Carolina Supreme Court to block issuance of same-sex marriage licenses, and in 2015 was ordered to pay $134,000 in attorneys' fees after losing.
Affordable Care Act
Opposition and legal challenge
Wilson supported lawsuits to invalidate the Affordable Care Act.
Abortion
Strong pro-life stance
Wilson is a staunch opponent of abortion and defended state laws banning most abortions from constitutional challenges.
Immigration enforcement
Hard-line enforcement with business penalties
Mace is running on aggressive immigration enforcement, distinguishing herself from other candidates with specific proposals for daily fines on hiring violations.
Gender and education policy
Restrict trans-identified individuals' rights in schools and sports
Mace opposes allowing transgender students in bathrooms and sports matching gender identity. McMaster previously signed the 'Save Women's Sports Act' in 2022 requiring athletes to compete based on birth certificate gender.
Tax policy
Eliminate state income tax entirely
Mace's campaign emphasizes income tax elimination as central to her platform, contrasting with other Republicans who support gradual cuts.

Top Donors

No donor data available.

No donor data available.

No donor data available.

No donor data available.

Sheriffs' endorsements
N/AEndorsement
Wilson earned endorsements from 22+ sheriffs across South Carolina, including all six in Mace's congressional district and several in Norman's.

No donor data available.

Contradictions

No contradictions documented.

No contradictions documented.

No contradictions documented.

No contradictions documented.

No contradictions documented.

Claim: Mace stated she broke with Trump on the Jeffrey Epstein files, pushing for more transparency.
Contradiction: Her 2026 gubernatorial campaign video features Trump saying 'Nancy Mace, she's a fighter,' and she heavily emphasizes Trump endorsement and alignment with Trump policies.

What Opponents Say

No opponent claims documented.

No opponent claims documented.

No opponent claims documented.

Nancy Mace

Evette is a 'glorified ribbon cutter' with 'no edge, no guts, no shot' despite spending over $2 million on her campaign.

Mace criticized Evette's lack of visibility and impact despite high spending.

Nancy Mace

Wilson is weak and his poll numbers have dropped due to direct attacks and his lack of name recognition despite holding office since 2011.

Winthrop polling showed Wilson's numbers declined from earlier in the race as Mace increased attacks against him.

Nancy Mace

Pamela Evette is a 'glorified ribbon cutter' with 'no edge, no guts, no shot' who is not serious about governance.

Mace has attacked Evette on social media and in campaign statements as lacking the toughness needed to be governor.

Nancy Mace

Alan Wilson's poll numbers have dropped due to 'frequent direct attacks' from her campaign and his lack of a strong record.

Mace has been Wilson's primary critic in the race, with polling showing pressure on his candidacy from her attacks.

Endorsements

No endorsements listed.

No endorsements listed.

No endorsements listed.

Governor Henry McMasterindividual
South Carolina sheriffs (22+)organization
Donald Trumpindividual