South Carolina's 2026 midterm elections feature a unique shift in the Republican Senate nomination.
In short: South Carolina, a state that has not elected a Democrat to statewide office since 2006, faces a pivotal 2026 election cycle. Following the death of incumbent Senator Lindsey Graham, the political landscape shifted, while high-profile accounting errors and term limits have created rare vacancies across several key executive offices.
The 2026 election cycle in South Carolina, scheduled for November 3, encompasses a wide array of federal and state contests. While the state has remained a Republican stronghold for decades—with Democrats last winning a presidential contest in 1976—the 2026 cycle is notable for the Democratic Party fielding candidates for every open federal and state office. This effort marks a significant departure from recent history, as the state has not seen a Democrat win a statewide office since Jim Rex was elected Superintendent of Education in 2006.
The U.S. Senate race underwent a major transformation following the death of incumbent Republican Lindsey Graham on July 11, 2026. Graham, who had secured the Republican nomination with 56.8% of the vote, was succeeded as the party's nominee by his sister, Darline Graham, after she won an August special primary runoff. She faces Democratic nominee Annie Andrews, alongside Libertarian Kasie Whitener, Constitution Party candidate Mark Hackett, and write-in candidate Catherine Fleming Bruce. Meanwhile, the gubernatorial race features Republican Attorney General Alan Wilson, who secured his nomination in a runoff, against Democratic nominee Jermaine Johnson.
Executive offices are also seeing significant turnover. Treasurer Curtis Loftis is seeking a fifth term despite a 33–8 vote by the State Senate in April 2025 to remove him following a $1.8 billion accounting error. Additionally, the Comptroller's office remains in transition after Richard Eckstrom resigned in 2023 due to a $3.5 billion accounting discrepancy, leading Governor Henry McMaster to appoint Democrat Brian J. Gaines to finish the term. In the legislative branch, all 124 seats in the State House are up for election, where Republicans currently hold 88 seats compared to 36 held by Democrats.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: 2026 South Carolina elections
- Also: scvotes.gov — Upcoming Elections - SC Votes - South Carolina Election Commission
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