2018 South Carolina gubernatorial election

For related races, see 2018 United States gubernatorial elections.

The 2018 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 2018, to elect the governor of South Carolina. Incumbent Republican governor Henry McMaster, who took office after Nikki Haley resigned to become U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, ran for election to a full term. The primary was held on June 12, with the Democrats nominating State Representative James E. Smith Jr. McMaster failed to win a majority of the vote, and then defeated John Warren in the Republican runoff on June 26. In the general election, McMaster defeated Smith, winning election to a full term.^[1]

2018 South Carolina gubernatorial election

← 2014 November 6, 2018 2022 →

Nominee Henry McMaster James Smith Party Republican Democratic Running mate Pamela Evette Mandy Powers Norrell Popular vote 921,342 784,182 Percentage 53.96% 45.92%

County results Congressional district results Precinct results McMaster:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90% Smith:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%

Governor before election Henry McMaster Republican Elected Governor Henry McMaster Republican

Republicans won their fifth straight gubernatorial election in the state, their longest such streak in history.

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Henry McMaster, incumbent governor^[2][3]
  • Running mate: Pamela Evette, businesswoman^[4]

Defeated in runoff

• John Warren, businessman^[5][6]
  • Running mate: Pat McKinney, businessman^[7]

Defeated in primary

• Kevin Bryant, incumbent lieutenant governor^[8]
• Yancey McGill, former Democratic lieutenant governor and former Democratic state senator^[9][2]
• Catherine Templeton, attorney, former director of the Department of Health and Environmental Control and former director of the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation^[10]
  • Running mate: Walt Wilkins III, Greenville County Solicitor^[11]

Declined

• Tom Davis, state senator^[12]
• Jeff Duncan, U.S. representative^[13][14]
• Mikee Johnson, businessman and former chairman of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce (endorsed Catherine Templeton)^[15]
• Tim Scott, U.S. senator^[16][17][18]
• Joe Taylor, former South Carolina secretary of commerce^[19][20]
• Billy Wilkins, former chief judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit^[2][21][22]
• Alan Wilson, attorney general (running for re-election)^[13][2][23]

Endorsements

Catherine Templeton

State figures

• Wes Climer, state senator^[24]
• Bobby Harrell, former Speaker of South Carolina House of Representatives^[25]
• Ralph Norman, member of the United States House of Representatives from South Carolina^[24]

Organizations

• Maggie's List^[26]

John Warren

State figures

• Elise Bidwell, member of South Carolina Educational Television Commission
• Kevin L. Bryant, 91st lieutenant governor of South Carolina and defeated candidate in gubernatorial Republican primary^[27]
• Tom Davis, state senator^[28]
• Pat McKinney, former chairman of the State Ports Authority, later chosen as Warren's running mate^[29]
• Ralph Norman, member of the United States House of Representatives from South Carolina^[30]
• Phil Robertson, star of Duck Dynasty^[31]
• Catherine Templeton, businesswoman and defeated candidate in gubernatorial Republican primary
• Knox H. White, mayor of Greenville^[32]

First round

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Henry McMaster	Kevin Bryant	Yancey McGill	Catherine Templeton	John Warren	Other	Undecided
Fabrizio, Lee and Associates (R-Warren)[33]	May 29–31, 2018	500	± 4.4%	33%	5%	2%	17%	19%	–	24%
Target-Insyght[34]	May 29–31, 2018	400	± 5.0%	37%	4%	3%	25%	20%	–	11%
Target-Insyght[35]	April 3–5, 2018	400	± 5.0%	46%	6%	4%	22%	1%	–	22%
TargetPoint/GQR[36]	March 10–17, 2018	397	–	41%	5%	3%	10%	2%	–	35%
The Trafalgar Group (R)[37]	November 29 – December 30, 2017	2,223	± 2.1%	40%	11%	3%	8%	–	10%	28%
Mason-Dixon[38]	December 6–10, 2017	400	± 5.0%	51%	8%	1%	21%	–	–	19%
South Carolina Public Affairs[39]	October 10–11, 2017	633	± 4.0%	33%	5%	5%	7%	–	–	50%

Results

Primary results by county:

McMaster

•   McMaster—60–70%
•   McMaster—50–60%
•   McMaster—40–50%
•   McMaster—30–40%

Warren

•   Warren—30–40%
•   Warren—40–50%

Templeton

•   Templeton—40–50%

McGill

•   McGill—40–50%

Republican primary results^[40]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Henry McMaster (incumbent)	155,723	42.32%
	Republican	John Warren	102,390	27.82%
	Republican	Catherine Templeton	78,705	21.39%
	Republican	Kevin Bryant	24,790	6.74%
	Republican	Yancey McGill	6,375	1.73%
Total votes			367,983	100.00%

Runoff

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Henry McMaster	John Warren	Undecided
The Trafalgar Group (R)[41]	June 19–21, 2018	1,650	± 3.0%	54%	37%	9%
Fabrizio, Lee and Associates (R-Warren)[42]	June 19–20, 2018	500	± 4.4%	42%	46%	13%
The Trafalgar Group (R)[43]	June 13–14, 2018	1,000	± 3.0%	60%	31%	9%

Results

Primary runoff results by county:

McMaster

•   McMaster—80–90%
•   McMaster—70–80%
•   McMaster—60–70%
•   McMaster—50–60%

Warren

•   Warren—50–60%
•   Warren—60–70%
•   Warren—70–80%

Republican primary runoff results^[44]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Henry McMaster (incumbent)	184,286	53.63%
	Republican	John Warren	159,349	46.37%
Total votes			343,635	100.00%

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

• James Smith, state representative^[45]
  • Running mate: Mandy Powers Norrell, state representative^[46]

Defeated in primary

• Phil Noble, business and technology consultant and candidate for lieutenant governor in 1994^[47]
  • Running mate: Gloria Bromell Tinubu, former Atlanta, Georgia, city councilwoman, former Georgia state representative and nominee for SC-07 in 2012 and 2014^[48]
• Marguerite Willis, attorney^[49]
  • Running mate: John Scott, state senator^[50]

Declined

• Steve Benjamin, Mayor of Columbia^{[13][2][51][52]}
• Marlon Kimpson, state senator^{[2][53][51][54]}
• Inez Tenenbaum, former State Superintendent of Education, former chair of the Consumer Product Safety Commission and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2004^[53][51]

Endorsements

Phil Noble

• Doug Jones, U.S. senator from Alabama^[55]

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Phil Noble	James Smith	Marguerite Willis	Other	Undecided
Target-Insyght[35]	April 3–5, 2018	400	± 5.0%	27%	27%	21%	–	25%
TargetPoint/GQR[36]	March 10–17, 2018	296	–	7%	18%	11%	–	57%
The Trafalgar Group (R)[37]	November 29 – December 30, 2017	2,223	± 2.1%	25%	20%	–	21%	34%

Results

Primary results by county:

Smith

•   Smith—70–80%
•   Smith—60–70%
•   Smith—50–60%
•   Smith—40–50%

Willis

•   Willis—40–50%

Democratic primary results^[56]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	James Smith	148,633	61.81%
	Democratic	Marguerite Willis	66,248	27.55%
	Democratic	Phil Noble	25,587	10.64%
Total votes			240,468	100.00%

Independents and third parties

Declared

• Phil Cheney (Independent), former Anderson City Councilman, candidate for SC-03 in 2006 and write-in candidate for SC-05 in 2017^[57]

Failed nomination

• Martin Barry (American Party), medication researcher,^[58] nomination declined by the American Party^[59]
  • Running mate: James Cartee, theater director

General election

Predictions

Source	Ranking	As of
The Cook Political Report[60]	Likely R	October 26, 2018
The Washington Post[61]	Likely R	November 5, 2018
FiveThirtyEight[62]	Safe R	November 5, 2018
Rothenberg Political Report[63]	Safe R	November 1, 2018
Sabato's Crystal Ball[64]	Safe R	November 5, 2018
RealClearPolitics[65]	Safe R	November 4, 2018
Daily Kos[66]	Safe R	November 5, 2018
Fox News[67][a]	Likely R	November 5, 2018
Politico[68]	Likely R	November 5, 2018
Governing[69]	Likely R	November 5, 2018

Notes

1. The Fox News Midterm Power Rankings uniquely does not contain a category for Safe/Solid races

Endorsements

Henry McMaster (R)

U.S. executive branch officials

• Mike Pence, 48th vice president of the United States^[70]
• Donald Trump, 45th president of The United States^[71]

State figures

• Kevin Brackett, South Carolina circuit solicitor^[72]
• Tom Rice, U.S. representative (SC-7)^[73]
• Katrina Shealy, state senator^[74]
• Scarlett Wilson, South Carolina circuit solicitor^[72]

Organizations

• NRA Political Victory Fund^[75]
• SC Citizens for Life^[76]

Newspapers

• The Post and Courier^[77]

James Smith (D)

Former U.S. executive branch officials

• Joe Biden, 47th vice president of the United States^[78]

U.S. senators

• Bernie Sanders, U.S. senator (I-VT)^[79]

U.S. representatives

• James Clyburn, U.S. representative (D-SC)^[80]

Local and statewide politicians

• Robert Barber, former state representative^[54]
• Steve Benjamin, current mayor of Columbia^[52]
• Floyd Breeland, former state representative^[54]
• Margie Bright Matthews, state senator^[54]
• Robert Brown, state representative^[54]
• Wendell Gilliard, state representative^[54]
• Jim Hodges, former governor of South Carolina^[81]
• Joe Jefferson, state representative^[54]
• Marlon Kimpson, state senator^[54]
• Marvin Pendarvis, state representative^[54]
• Vic Rawl, chairman of the Charleston County Council^[54]
• Joe Riley, former mayor of Charleston, SC^[82]
• Richard Riley, former United States Secretary of Education and former governor of South Carolina^[83]
• Leon Stavrinakis, state representative^[54]
• Mary Tinkler, Charleston County Treasurer and former state representative^[54]

Individuals

• Jay Inslee, governor of Washington and chairman of the Democratic Governors Association^[84]

Organizations

• Conservation Voters of South Carolina^[85]
• Our Revolution SC^[79]
• Planned Parenthood Action Fund^[86]
• Sierra Club South Carolina chapter^[87]
• South Carolina Equality^[88]
• VoteVets.org^[89]

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Henry McMaster (R)	James Smith (D)	Undecided
The Trafalgar Group (R)[90]	October 29–31, 2018	3,792	± 1.6%	54%	38%	8%
The Trafalgar Group (R)[91]	October 12–14, 2018	4,830	± 2.1%	56%	32%	12%
The Trafalgar Group (R)[92]	September 24 – October 2, 2018	2,692	± 1.9%	51%	37%	13%
The Tarrance Group (R-RGA)[93]	August 11–13, 2018	601	± 4.1%	52%	41%	7%
Garin-Hart-Yang (D-Smith)[94]	August 6–9, 2018	605	± 4.1%	47%	43%	10%

Results

South Carolina gubernatorial election, 2018

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Henry McMaster (incumbent)	921,342	53.96%	−1.94%
	Democratic	James Smith	784,182	45.92%	+4.50%
	Write-in		2,045	0.12%	+0.05%
Total votes			1,707,569	100.00%	N/A
	Republican hold

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Darlington (largest city: Hartsville)

By congressional district

McMaster won six of seven congressional districts, including one that elected a Democratic representative.^[95]

District	McMaster	Smith	Representative
1st	52%	48%	Mark Sanford
			Joe Cunningham
2nd	54%	46%	Joe Wilson
3rd	67%	33%	Jeff Duncan
4th	59%	41%	Trey Gowdy
			William Timmons
5th	57%	43%	Ralph Norman
6th	30%	70%	Jim Clyburn
7th	57%	43%	Tom Rice

See also

• 2018 South Carolina elections