Election 2026: South Carolina Governor

South Carolina’s Republican Attorney General Alan Wilson leads Democratic state Rep. Jermaine Johnson in the election to become the next governor of the Palmetto State.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that, if the election were held today, 51% of Likely South Carolina voters would vote for Wilson, while 43% would vote for Johnson. Green Party candidate Walid Hakin and United Citizens Party candidate Michael Addison each have one percent (1%) support, and four percent (4%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

In a state that Donald Trump won by an 18-point margin in 2024, the winner of the South Carolina gubernatorial election will fill the seat being vacated by incumbent Republican Gov. Henry McMaster, who is term limited. 

Eighty-six percent (86%) of Republicans would vote for Wilson, as would seven percent (7%) of Democrats and 43% of voters not affiliated with either major party, while Johnson is supported by 85% of Democrats, seven percent (7%) of Republicans and 52% of unaffiliated voters in South Carolina. 

(Not getting our eNewsletter? Sign up HERE. Already signed up? Try adding update@rasmussenreports.com to your contacts or whitelisting us. Still having trouble – email subscriptions@rasmussenreports.com. If it's in the news, it's in our polls).

Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

The survey of 1,028 South Carolina Likely Voters was conducted on October 27-31, 2026 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

The “gender gap” in South Carolina’s gubernatorial race is a net 26 points, with men supporting Wilson by a 22-point margin, 58% to 36%, while women voters favor Johnson 49% to 45%.

Wilson is supported by 67% of whites, nine percent (9%) of black voters, 59% of Hispanics and 38% of other minorities, while 28% of whites, 85% of black voters, 38% of Hispanics and 48% of other minorities would vote for Johnson.

Wilson leads by a 32-point margin among voters in their 30s, while those under 30 favor Johnson, 51% to 44%.

Married voters prefer Wilson by a 31-point margin while unmarried voters favor Johnson by a 20-point margin.

A majority of voters earning more than $50,000 a year support Wilson.

Among those who voted for Trump in the 2024 presidential election, 82% would vote for Wilson, while 86% of Kamala Harris voters support Johnson.

South Carolina Republican Sen. Darline Graham narrowly leads Democratic challenger Annie Andrews in the contest for the seat formerly held by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham. 

Democratic health official Amy Acton leads Republican businessman Vivek Ramaswamy in the election to be Ohio’s next governor. 

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to the public as well as Platinum Members.

Please sign up for the Rasmussen Reports daily e-mail update (it’s free) or follow us on Facebook. Let us keep you up to date with the latest public opinion news.