It’s 2026…
Who’s running?
[We interrupt this page to note that there is a Special Election for Clover Town Council on May 5, 2026. Details here. And now back to our regularly scheduled web page]
Candidate Filing is complete. It began on March 16 and closed at noon on March 30, 2026.
The SC Votes Candidate Trackershows all the candidates, but it’s a little confusing 😕. You have to choose between the Primary and General election (and make several more choices), and choosing Primary gives you a different result than choosing General… most primary candidates also appear in the general list and vice versa, but not all of them are on both lists 😵, so best to look at both. Third Party candidates do not have a primary, so only appear on the General Election list.
Other places to look
Check out the FEC page, especially the fundraising totals – eye-opening👁, though this report is only thru the end of 2025. Next filing is April 15.
You can keep up on Ballotpedia(which only reports official candidates). Wikipedia has even more detailed information.
To request an update or report an error on this website, contact YCDPTV@gmail.com.
On this page:
Statewide Offices
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Governor
The Governor and Lt. Governor offices – and all other SC ‘Executive’ offices – are up for election in 2026, beginning with the Primary in June. Incumbent Governor Republican Henry McMaster is term-limited and cannot run in the 2026 election (but he can run again in 2030 – the term limitation prohibits holding office in more than two consecutive terms). Here are the Republicans who filed:
Rom Reddy
Nancy Mace
Ralph Norman
Alan Wilson
Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette
State Sen. Josh Kimbrell
Jacqueline Hicks DuBose
Here are the Democratic Party Candidates:
Jermaine Johnson, currently serving in the SC House, announced his candidacy for Governor on October 28, 2025, after looking into it with an ‘exploratory committee’ for several months.
He spoke at the SCDP Convention on May 31, 2025, and at our Dessert Before Dinner party, also in May.
Jermaine Johnson
Candidate for Governor
Mullins McLeod has announced his candidacy for the Democratic Party race for Governor in 2026. The link will take you to his website for an intro video, platform, donations, etc.
Mullins McLeod
Candidate for Governor
McCleod appeared at the YCDP County Convention on March 14 and gave this speech.
William (Billy) Webster
Candidate for Governor
Billy Webster filed for the Democratic nomination for Governor on March 25. Check his website for details, and this TV interview about running for Governor.
Lieutenant Governor
The Lieutenent Governor runs on the same ticket as the Governor. As of April 1, only the candidate for the United Citizens Party has listed a running mate.
The incumbent Lt. Governor, Republican Pamela Evette, is running for Governor.
Attorney General
Three Republicans have filed for Attorney General as of March 25.
On March 27, Richard Hricik filed for the Democratic nomination.
Richard Hricik
Candidate for Attorney General
Richard Hricik filed for the Democratic nomination for Attorney General on March 27. Hricik is a personal injury lawyer in Mt. Pleasant
As of March 31, we don’t see any campaign materials online. Here is his business website and personal Facebook page. This article noted that Hricik represented the Democratic Party in court to extend the voter registration deadline after Hurricane Helene. He was previously a candidate for State Senate. As the only Democratic candidate, he will skip the primary and go straight to the November General Election
Secretary of State
Republican incumbent Mark Hammond, who was re-elected in 2022 with 63.3% of the vote, is seeking a seventh term in office.
Two Democrats filed in the final days, and are listed below:
Edwina Winter
Candidate for Secretary of State
Edwina Winter filed for Secretary of State on March 27.
Winter is a UK native, and is now a Real Estate Agent in SC. We don’t see much online campaign material (as of March 31), but she does have an Act Blue page for fundraising, and a personal YouTube channel.
Jason Belton
Candidate for Secretary of State
Jason (Jay) Belton filed for Secretary of State on March 30.
Belton’s LInkedIn page describes him as the State Operations & Field Director for the SC AFL-CIO, and former Senior Advisor with the SC Legislative Progressive Caucus and SC Crisis Director at National Action Network. He has a candidate Facebook page
Commissioner of Agriculture
Fred West, Danny Ford and Cody Simpson have filed for the Republican nomination, and Chris Nelums filed for the United Citiens Party.
DeShawn Blanding has filed for the Democratic nomination
DeShawn Blanding
Candidate for Commissioner of Agriculture
DeShawn Blanding filed for the Democratic nomination for Agriculture Secretary on March 27. Here is his campaign web page and Facebook page.
Blanding has been a senior Washington representative for the Food and Environment program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. As the only Democratic candidate, he will skip the primary and go straight to the November General Election.
Comptroller General
Mark Burkhold has filed for the Republican nomination.
Two Democrats have filed on the last day. Details below.
Wikipedia reports that Republican Comptroller Richard Eckstrom, who was re-elected unopposed in 2022, left office on April 30, 2023, following the discovery of a $3.5 billion accounting error.[19] Governor Henry McMaster appointed Democrat Brian J. Gaines to serve the remainder of Eckstrom's term. He is not running for a full term.[20][21]
Tiffany Boozer
Candidate for Comptroller General
Tiffany Boozer filed for the Democratic nomination for Comptroller General on March 30.
Boozer is a CPA, currently working in the Comptroller General office as the Quality Assurance Manager according to her LinkedIn profile and the office web site. As of March 31, we don’t see any campaign material online. She has a personal Facebook page, but no campaign info posted.
Bruce K. Cole
Candidate for Comptroller General
(withdrew candidacy for Treasurer)
Bruce K. Cole is running for Comptroller General. He had previously filed for Treasurer, but withdrew from that election.
We don’t find any campaign material online as of March 31. Cole had created a web page for his run as Treasurer, but never activated it. He has LinkedIn page that notes that he is the “Founder and President at Richard T. Greener Institute for Social Policy Research” as well as Managing Director of Palmetto Realty Advisors.
Superintendent of Education
The incumbent is highly partisan and equally unqualified Republican Ellen Weaver. YCDP TV made a campaign video about her in 2022. She is running for re-election. Baba Amin Ojuok has filed to run for the United Citizens party, which will not have a primary.
Here are the Democrats running in the Primary:
Sylvia Wright
Sylvia Wright is running for Superintendent of Education in 2026.
She spoke at the SCDP Convention on May 31, 2025.
At the 2026 YCDP Convention, spokesman Frank Maurizio made this speech on her behalf.
Candidate for
Superintendent of Education
Lisa Ellis
Lisa Ellisis running for Superintendent of Education in 2026.
At the 2026 YCDP County Convention, spokesman Evan Lawton made this speech on her behalf.
Candidate for
Superintendent of Education
Treasurer
Incumbent state Treasurer, Republican Curtis Loftis, has been embroiled in controversy over a $1.8 billion “accounting error” in state funds. Wikipedia reports that the South Carolina Senate voted to remove Loftis from office in a 33–8 vote in April 2025, but the House did not vote on his removal before the end of their legislative session. Loftis has announced his intention to run again in 2026 and has filed for the primary.
Two Democrats have also filed. A third filed, then withdrew to run for a different office. Details below:
Vincent Coe
Vincent Coe has filed for the Democratic nomination for SC Treasurer. Here is his campaign web site.
Candidate for Treasurer
Trav Robertson Jr is former chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party, and was former deputy state treasurer. He also served as Barack Obama's South Carolina campaign manager in 2008.
Trav Robertson Jr
Candidate for Treasurer
As of March 31, we don’t find any of his own campaign material online.
WITHDRAWN
Bruce Cole had filed for the Democratic nomination for SC Treasurer. However, he withdrew his candidacy from that office and has now filed for Comptroller General.
Bruce K Cole
US Senate
US Senators serve six-year terms. Republican Lindsey Graham will be up for re-election in 2026. Paul Dans, the main architect of Project 2025, Patrick Herrmann, Thomas Keith, Calvin Cowen and Mark Lynch are challenging Graham for the Republican nomination. Republican Tim Scott will be up for re-election in 2028. Three Libertarians or independents have filed, and will all be on the ballot in November as they have no primary election.
Democratic candidates are detailed below.
...
Dr. Annie Andrews
Dr. Annie Andrews has announced her candidacy for US Senate. Here’s her speech at the SCDP Convention on May 31, 2025. In June, she spoke at the YCDP Forward Together event, and again at the YCDP County Convention on March 14, 2026.
Candidate for US Senate
Catherine Fleming Bruce
Candidate for US Senate
Catherine Fleming Bruce is making her second bid for US Senate. Here’s her speech at the SCDP Convention on May 31, 2025.
She was unable to appear at the YCDP County Convention, but she made this special greeting for us and sent it along via YouTube.
Kyle Freeman is running for US Senate. Here’s his speech at the SCDP Convention on May 31, 2025.
Kyle Freeman
Candidate for US Senate
Brandon Brown
Brandon Brown is running for US Senate.
Click the link to go to his website for background and campaign information. He gave this speech at the 2026 YCDP County Convention on March 14.
Candidate for US Senate
Regional Offices
This section lists offices that cover parts of York County. Some are fully contained in the county borders, while others extend to adjacent counties. They include the US House of Representatives (SC House District 5 covers all of York County), the State Senate and State House, and the Solicitor’s office.
US House
of Representatives
All of York County is included in US House District 5. The incumbent is Republican Ralph Norman, who has declared his run for Governor in 2026 and is vacating the seat. Republicans Wes Climer, currently a State Senator from District 15 (central York county), and Bill Bledsoe are now running for the seat in the Republican primary (Bledsoe has not filed as of March 27).
Here are the candidates competing for the 2026 Democratic Party nomination:
Andrew Clough
Andrew Cloughis running for US House, SC District 5. Here’s his speech at the YCDP Forward Together event on June 27. And he spoke at the 2026 YCDP County Convention as well.
Candidate for US House, SC 5
Mallory Dittmer
Mallory Dittmer is running for US House, SC District 5. Here’s her speech at the 2026 YCDP County Convention. And YCDP TV found her at No Kings 3.
Candidate for US House, SC 5
The remaining offices in this section serve only parts of York County. See the York County Political Maps section of this website to see the various political subdivisions.
State Senate
There are no State Senate offices up for eleciton in 2026. The South Carolina State Senate elections follow a four-year cycle, with the next one due in 2028. There are no term limits for state Senate seats.
There are four South Carolina Senate districts that include part of York County: 14, 15 16 and 17. District 15 is located entirely within the County.
State House of Representatives
State House seats are elected every two years, so all House members are up for reelection in 2026. There are no term limits for House seats.
There are eight South Carolina House Districts that include parts of York County: 26, 29, 43, 46, 47, 48, 49 and 66. John R King is the incumbent Democrat in District 49, and that seat has been reliably Democratic. The other incumbents are Republicans. Often they run unopposed in the General Election, but in 2026 the YCDP has recruited candidates for ALL of them!
Below are State House races with Democratic candidates:
SC House District 26
Jenny Desch
Jenny Desch is running for office for the first time. She addressed the 2026 YCDP County Convention. She has no Primary opposition, so she skips the June Primary and in November she will take on either Republican incumbent David Martin, who is in his first term or Elizabeth Enns, who has also filed in the Republican primary, and Kiral Mace who filed from the Worker’s Party.
Jenny is an Assistant Prosecutor (Solicitor) in the SC 5th Judicial Circuit. In her address to the YCDP convention, she noted that if elected, she would have to resign her job as Solicitor because she wouldn’t be allowed to hold two government positions. Note that being a State Representative is not a full-time job, and only had a base annual salary of $10,400 (the per-diem can bring that up to ~$35,000).
SC House District 29
Marina Franco
Marina Franco (Martinez) filed at the last minute as a Democratic candidate for State House District 29 which encompasses parts of Cherokee, Spartanburg, and York counties. Marina is from Cowpens in Spartanburg County. We don’t see any campaign material online yet, so stay tuned or “do your own research”. But with her filing, we now have a Democratic candidate in ALL York County State House races!
As the only Democrat in the SC House 29 race, Marina skips the June Primary and heads straight to the november General Election.
SC House District 47
Pete Martinez
Pete Martinez was recently recruited to run for office for the first time. He spoke at the 2026 YCDP County Convention, and YCDP TV found him at No Kings 3. Here is his campaign Fecebook Page.
Pete has a Democratic Primary opponent, Justin N. Bennett, so they will appear on the June Primary ballot.
SC House District 47
Justin N. Bennett
Justin N. Bennett has officially filed to run for State House in SC 47. He did not speak at the County Convention on March 14. He will face Primary opponent Pete Martinez in June.
Note that there was a Democratic candidate for Governor with a similar name, Justin A. Bennett, who never officially filed, but you may see his name appear on some web pages.
SC House District 48
Rustin Terry
Rustin Terry announced his candidacy for SC House 48 on March 8, 2026. SC House 48 runs from the northeast side of Rock Hill, along the south/west side of the Catawba River and Lake Wilie to the North Carolina border (see map). His opponent is Republican Brandon Guffey, who ran unopposed in 2024. As the only Democratic candidate in the SC House 48 race, Rustin skips the June Primary and heads straight to the November General election.
Here is Terry’s address to the 2026 YCDP County Convention on March 14.
SC House District 49
Rep. John King (Rock Hill)
John has represented SC House District 49 since 2009. He ran unopposed for the seat in 2024, and facing only write-in oppositon, he received 98% of the vote. In previous elections where he did have opposition, he typically received over 60% of the vote.
Here is his address to the 2026 YCDP County Convention on March 14.
John will face Democratic opponent Perry Sutton in the June Primary.
SC House District 49
Perry Sutton
Perry Sutton is a former Rock Hill City Councilman (a nonpartisan office). In the 2025 election he lost the seat to YCDP Chair Nikita Jackson. He is now challenging John King in the Primary for SC House District 49, and he spoke at the 2026 YCDP County Convention.
SC House District 66
Heather Hart
Heather Hart is a first-time candidate, running in a State House District that was ‘relocated’ to York County following the 2020 Census, part of a Republican gerrymander in 2021. The incumbent is Jackie Terribile, who is in her first term. As the only Democratic candidate in the SC House 66 race, Heather gets to skip the June Primary and head straight to the November General Election.
Heather addressed the 2026 YCDP County Convention on March 14.
16th Circuit Solicitor's Office
The Solicitor is the chief prosecuting attorney within a judicial circuit. South Carolina has sixteen judicial circuits which are comprised of two or more counties within the State. The 16th Circuit covers York and Union Counties.
Solicitor is a partisan office, with elections every four years on the Presidential election cycle. The incumbent is Republican Kevin Brackett.
County Offices
The offices below serve only York County (or parts of York County).
See a full list of all political office holders serving York County (at the Federal, State and County level) here.
County Council
There are seven York County Council Districts. Council members serve 4-year terms. Three will be elected in 2026: Districts 3, 4 and 7
Democrat Bump Roddy is the incumbent for Council District 4, and is unopposed. He skips the June Primary and will face only write-in opposition in the November General election.
District 3 has three Republican challengers, and District 7 has two. No Democrats have filed for those Districts
Probate Judge ⚖
Probate Court is a County level court located in the town of York. The court handles various matters including the administration of decedents' estates, the issuance of marriage licenses, the appointment of guardians and conservators, and involuntary commitments. It is headed by an elected probate judge who serves a four-year term.
Probate Judge is a partisan office. The incumbent judge, Carolyn E. Woodruff, has not filed for re-election. Two Republicans have filed: Daniel Harshaw and Anna Miller.
York County
School Boards
School Board Candidate filing runs from August 1 – August 15, 2026, so School Board elections are not part of the June 9 Primaries.
There are four School Districts in York County. Each ‘seat’ is technically non-partisan, but the culture wars have affected some School Board elections. The YCDP does not endorse candidates in non-partisan elections, and we won’t be listing candidates here.
Elections are held in even-numbered years, with staggered four-year terms. More info here.
5 District Seats, plus 2 At-Large seats.
Seats 2,4, and one At-Large are up for election in 2026
5 District Seats, plus 2 At-Large seats.
Seats 1,3,5 and one At-Large are up for election in 2026
Rock Hill School District No. 3
5 District Seats, plus 2 At-Large seats.
Seats 2, 4 and one At-Large are up for election in 2026
Fort Mill School District No. 4
7 At-Large seats
Four At-Large seats are up for election in 2026
Soil and Water
Conservation District Commission
The Commission consists of a board of five nonpartisan commissioners.
Three of the Commissioners are elected, while two are appointed. One seat appears on the ballot during a Presidential election (2028) and two seats appear on the ballot during a Gubernatorial election (2026).
The Commission’s website is updated only sporadically, and as of February 13, 2026, it is out of date. The York County Elected Representatives page shows that Commissioners Peggy Palmer and Beth Black White will be up for reelection in 2026.
The filing announcement for 2026 hasn’t been published (as of March 31). In 2026, filing for nonpartisan offices was the first two weeks of August.
Watershed Conservation Districts
We have a lot of people looking after our water, it seems. In addition to the Soil and Water folks, there are two Watershed Conservation Districts serving York County.
Each Commission is comprised of five member seats with staggered four-year terms. Only voters that live in the these districts will see these offices on their ballots. Three seats will appear on the ballot during a Presidential election and two seats appear on the ballot during a Gubernatorial election. The offices are nonpartisan, so we won’t be following the candidates. The filing period for candidates will probably be the first two weeks of August, 2026.
Fishing Creek Watershed District 13
The Fishing Creek Watershed lies west of Rock Hill (map).
Tinker's Creek Watershed District 33
The Tinker’s Creek is south of Rock Hill and the Watershed District includes both York and Chester Counties.