Candidate breakdown for SC governor, U.S. senate
Two statewide races will decide South Carolina's next governor and U.S. Senator in the upcoming Nov. 3 General Election.
Henry McMaster, South Carolina's longest-serving governor, will be replaced come January 2027, and recently appointed Sen. Darline Graham, who filled her brother's seat, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, will face three other challengers for the U.S. Senate, including two other women.
Here's a snapshot of the candidates' platform planks, along with their candidate websites.
SOUTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR CANDIDATES
SC Rep. Jermaine Johnson (D)
johnsonforsc.com
Jermaine Johnson is the current South Carolina House Representative for District 52, which includes portions of Kershaw and Richland Counties. He has served in the Statehouse since 2020.
A former College of Charleston basketball player, Johnson's post-playing career involved community strengthening. He founded the New Economic Beginnings Foundation, which provides education and classroom opportunities for troubled youth and veterans.
The Democrat's platform focuses on affordability, infrastructure, and families.
Johnson is in favor of reducing the state income tax for South Carolina's lowest-earning families but said he is not in favor of eliminating it entirely. Johnson said eliminating the income tax would primarily benefit the wealthiest individuals in South Carolina.
Johnson also favors giving cities and municipalities the ability to fix their own roads and bridges using funds from the Department of Transportation to speed up needed repairs. He also supports raising the salaries of law enforcement officers, investing more in trade and technical colleges, legalizing medicinal marijuana, and a state-wide referendum for recreational use.
The 41-year-old also said he would also conduct an audit of the state's education system to identify inadequacies in funding for students and school districts.
Attorney General Alan Wilson (R)
wilsonforsc.com
Alan Wilson has served as the state's attorney general since 2011 and won a heavily contested Republican primary and runoff this summer to receive his party's nomination for governor.
Backed by President Trump, Wilson's platform includes making South Carolina more affordable for families. He is a proponent of eliminating the state income tax and reforming personal property taxes for seniors and veterans. He also touts his mission to "root out fraud, waste, and abuse" in South Carolina.
Wilson is also focusing on making the state's infrastructure a priority, citing the deteriorating nature of some of the state's roads and bridges. He intends to "modernize" the Department of Transportation and streamline project timelines while ensuring road improvements are given attention for both rural and urban communities. He also intends to audit the department's spending as part of his Families First Audit Initiative.
The 53-year old has served in the state's National Guard for 30 years and, at the time of his election, was the youngest-serving attorney general in the country. He says he will continue to strengthen the state's criminal laws, including penalties for fentanyl and violent offenders.
The Green Party's Walid Hakim is also on the ballot for governor. Hakim, a former U.S. Marine, created a 100-Year Plan for South Carolina to invest in education, infrastructure, conservation, and protecting civil liberties. walidnhakim.com
The United Citizens party's Michael Addison is a medical director who is advocating for improved affordability for South Carolina citizens. He also favors state income tax reform, environmental accountability, and improved access to healthcare. addisonforsc.com
U.S. SENATE CANDIDATES
Annie Andrews (D)
drannieandrews.com
Annie Andrews is a Lowcountry pediatrician, who is running for U.S. Senate because families, according to her website, are "getting screwed by a system designed to work for the powerful."
Andrews touts a Taxpayer Promise. She pledges to stop waste, fraud, and abuse, and protect citizens' tax dollars. She opposes any debt ceiling increase until a balanced budget stops debt increases.
Andrews supports limiting congressional raises, health benefits, and lifetime pensions - as well as imposing stronger term limits.
Andrews supports a balanced budget amendment and opposes congressional direct spending. Her platform includes simplifying the tax code, free tax filing, and reducing taxes on families making less than $500,000 a year.
Andrews is also pushing for lower healthcare premiums, reversing Medicaid cuts, and reducing drug costs.
The 45-year-old mother resides in Mount Pleasant and has three children.
Darline Graham (R)
darlinegraham.com
Sen. Darline Graham was appointed to Congress after the passing of her brother, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham.
Graham has experience in public service, having leadership roles for both the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department and the South Carolina Commission for the Blind.
Graham's platform includes supporting the permanency of President Trump's tax cuts, reducing red tape for small businesses, and eliminating federal financial waste and fraud.
She supports fully funding border enforcement and the removal of criminal illegal aliens. Graham opposes efforts to defund police departments, supports concealed carry reciprocity, and is against gun registries.
Graham said she will also stand up for South Carolina farmers, push to keep rural hospitals open, and protect Medicare and Social Security for seniors who have paid into the programs.
Graham lives in Lexington, South Carolina, with her husband. The 62-year-old has two daughters and a grandson.
Kasie Whitener is running as a member of the Libertarian Party. She is an educator at the University of South Carolina. Whitener supports smaller government, a balanced budget amendment, and reducing the national debt. kasiesouthcarolina.com.
Mark Hackett is also running for U.S. Senate as a member of the Constitution Party. Hackett favors reducing the national debt and defunding Israel, Ukraine, and the United Nations. scconstitutionparty.com.