South Carolina’s race for governor is set for November 3, 2026, with Republican Attorney General Alan Wilson facing Democratic state Representative Jermaine Johnson in what marks the state’s first open governor’s race in nearly two decades.
Wilson, 52, secured the GOP nomination on June 23 after decisively defeating Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette in a runoff election. According to PBS NewsHour, Wilson won the race by routing Evette, whom President Donald Trump had endorsed in the primary’s closing days before hedging his bets by endorsing both candidates.
Wilson has served as South Carolina’s attorney general since 2011 and is the son of longtime U.S. Representative Joe Wilson. In the runoff, he drew support from law enforcement officials across the state—sheriffs and solicitors with whom he works regularly as the state’s top prosecutor. Sen. Tim Scott also backed Wilson, and Sen. Ted Cruz came to South Carolina to campaign for him before the runoff.
On the Democratic side, Johnson won his party’s nomination outright on June 9 with more than 50% of the vote, defeating two other candidates. Johnson, a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives representing District 52, is seen as a rising star among state Democrats.
The general election arrives in a state where Democrats face steep odds. South Carolina has not elected a Democratic governor since 1998. Outgoing Governor Henry McMaster, a Republican, won reelection in 2022 by nearly 18 percentage points, and Republicans have typically claimed statewide seats in South Carolina by double-digit margins in recent history.
Sources
- PBS NewsHour — Wilson’s runoff victory, Trump’s endorsement strategy, and background on both candidates
- WIS News 10 — Johnson’s Democratic primary win and general election setup
- South Carolina Legislature — Johnson’s service in the House of Representatives
