---
title: "SC 2026 Ballot Guide: Governor, Senate and the 1st District"
url: https://www.herechapin.com/2026/10/21/sc-2026-ballot-guide-governor-race-1st-district-senate/
date: 2026-10-21T08:49:30-04:00
modified: 2026-10-21T08:49:30-04:00
author: "HERE City State Desk"
categories: ["Politics"]
site: "HERE Chapin"
attribution: "HERE Chapin"
---

# SC 2026 Ballot Guide: Governor, Senate and the 1st District

> COLUMBIA, S.C. — With early voting open, South Carolina voters are deciding three contests that will shape the state for years: an open governor's office, a U.S. Senate seat drawing national attention and a coastal U.S. House district both parties think they can win. Governor. For the first time since 2017, the state will get

*Source: [HERE Chapin](https://www.herechapin.com/2026/10/21/sc-2026-ballot-guide-governor-race-1st-district-senate/) — October 21, 2026 by HERE City State Desk*

COLUMBIA, S.C. — With early voting open, South Carolina voters are deciding three contests that will shape the state for years: an open governor’s office, a U.S. Senate seat drawing national attention and a coastal U.S. House district both parties think they can win.

Governor. For the first time since 2017, the state will get a new chief executive. Gov. Henry McMaster cannot seek another term and will leave as the longest-serving governor in South Carolina history. Attorney General Alan Wilson won the Republican nomination after a runoff against Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and faces Democrat Jermaine Johnson. Polls show Wilson with what looks like a comfortable lead.

U.S. Senate. Sen. Darline Graham, appointed after the death of her brother Lindsey Graham, beat U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman in a GOP runoff and now faces Democrat Annie Andrews, a pediatrician from Mount Pleasant. Republicans hold 53 Senate seats to 45 for Democrats, with two independents who usually vote with Democrats. The state’s other senator, Republican Tim Scott, is not up again until 2028.

1st Congressional District. The Lowcountry seat is open because Rep. Nancy Mace ran for governor. Republican Jenny Costa Honeycutt, a Charleston County Council member from James Island, faces Democrat Nancy Lacore, a retired Navy admiral from Mount Pleasant. Honeycutt holds a slim edge in polling, the Cook Political Report rates the seat lean Republican, and a Democrat carried it as recently as 2018. Republicans control the House 220 to 215.

Early voting centers in all 46 counties are open 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, through Oct. 31. Voters can find their site at scVOTES.gov or through their county elections office. Election Day is Nov. 3.