Hello REALTORS®,
Because elections in South Carolina are skewed toward one of the two major political parties, most elections are often settled in the party primaries. However, this election year could be different because many more members of the Democratic Party have filed for election than in recent elections.
The primary elections, where most elections are decided, are on June 9. It’s not too early to start doing your homework and learn about the candidates. On the ballot in the Western Upstate will be the following offices:
- SC Governor and Lt. Governor
- SC Secretary of State
- SC Treasurer
- SC Attorney General
- SC Comptroller General
- SC Superintendent of Education
- SC Commissioner of Agriculture
- US Senate
- US House District 3
- Solicitor District 13
- SC House (several seats)
- County Council (several seats in three counties)
- Probate Judge (in each county)
These are the candidates who have filed for either the Republican or Democratic party nomination and will be on the ballot on June 9. About 135 candidates filed for 33 offices representing the Western Upstate. Some of them are from third parties (Libertarian, Green, etc.). Those “third” parties will select their candidates during party conventions instead of the primaries that the Republican and Democratic parties use.
SC Governor/Lt. Governor
Governor Henry McMaster is term limited and cannot run for reelection. Lt. Governor Pamela Evette is running for Governor. Most candidates have not named their running mate.
- Jacqueline Hicks DuBose (R)
- Pamela Evette (R), SC Lt. Governor
- Jermaine Johnson (D), member of the SC House
- Joshua Kimbrell (R), member of the SC Senate
- Mullins McLeod (D)
- Nancy Mace (R), member of the US House
- Ralph Norman (R), member of the US House
- Rom Reddy (R)
- Alan Wilson (R), SC Attorney General
- Billy Webster (D)
SC Secretary of State
- Jason Belton (D)
- Mark Hammond (R), incumbent
- Edwina Winter (D)
SC Treasurer
- Vincent Coe (D)
- Curtis Loftis (R), incumbent
- Trav Robertson Jr. (D)
SC Attorney General
SC Attorney General Alan Wilson is running for Governor.
- Stephen Goldfinch (R), member of the SC Senate
- Richard Hricik (D)
- David Pascoe (R), 1st Circuit Solicitor
- David Stumbo (R), 8th Circuit Solicitor
SC Comptroller General
Comptroller General Brian Gaines is not running for election. He was appointed following the resignation of Richard Eckstrom.
- Tiffany Boozer (R)
- Mike Burkhold (R)
- Bruce K. Cole (R)
SC Superintendent of Education
- Lisa Ellis (D)
- Sylvia Wright (D)
- Ellen Weaver (R), incumbent
SC Commissioner of Agriculture
Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers is not seeking reelection.
- DeShawn Blanding (D)
- Jeremy B. Cannon (R)
- Danny Ford II (R)
- Cody Simpson (R)
- Fred West (R)
US Senate
16 candidates announced, 13 filed, and one has already withdrawn.
- Annie Andrews (D)
- Brandon Brown (D)
- Calvin Cowen (R)
- Thomas Keith Dismukes (R)
- Kyle Freeman (D)
- Lindsay Graham (R), incumbent
- Pat Herrmann (R)
- Mark Lynch (R)
- Darius L. Mitchell (R)
US Congress District 3
- Sheri Biggs (R), incumbent
- Eunice Lehmacher (D)
- Ernest E. Mackins (D)
Solicitor, District 13
- Cindy Crick (R), incumbent appointed in 2025
Next week we’ll report on the SC House and county council candidates. Your REALTORS® Association is screening the various candidates over the next several weeks. We will provide you with a Voter Guide in May.
SC General Assembly Update
The SC General Assembly is nearing the end of its regular two-year session. This is the status of some of the legislation on which your SC REALTORS® Advocacy Team has been working:
- Governor McMaster signed legislation that will reduce income taxes immediately from a top rate of 6% to 5.21%. Over time, the legislation provides a pathway for rates to be reduced to zero.
- Legislation to reduce property taxes for homeowners and senior citizens is pending approval of funding in the state budget. If you own a boat, Governor McMaster signed legislation that will simplify and reduce your property taxes over the next three years.
- Both the House and the Senate are working on similar legislation to remove eviction filings that have been resolved from public records after five years.
Other legislation is pending on highway funding, deed theft, and new requirements for recording HOA documents.
Support RPAC
RPAC is an important element of your Realtors Association’s advocacy program. I encourage you to support RPAC, and we make it easy to do so—we include a voluntary RPAC contribution on your annual dues renewal. Simply pay it and you have support RPAC. If you want to do more than that modest amount, that’s easy too.
Addie Patterson and Michael Dey
Western Upstate Association of REALTORS®