Race · November 3, 2026
Governor · South Carolina
4 candidates on the ballot — an open seat, with no incumbent running.1
§1Candidates
Why this matters: Every candidate the state lists for this race on the November ballot, in the state's own order.
§2Side by side
Why this matters: The same facts for every candidate, in the same order. Where we found nothing for a candidate, the cell says so — that means we didn't find it in public sources, not that it doesn't exist.
| Fact | Michael Addison | Walid Hakim | Jermaine Johnson | Alan Wilson |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party on the ballot | United Citizens1 | Green1 | Democratic1 | Republican1 |
| Status | Open seat | Open seat | Open seat | Open seat |
| Money | Candidates for governor file campaign-finance reports with the state, not the FEC, so this guide doesn't include their fundraising. Search the state's reports: Public reporting: campaign disclosure search — South Carolina State Ethics Commission.2 | |||
| Abortion law | Not found in the public sources we checked | His platform says he fully supports a woman's right to choose, including access to abortion.3 | His campaign website says he would protect women's reproductive rights and that he believes medical decisions are best left to families and their doctors.4 | His campaign website says he is firmly pro-life and will always support laws that defend the unborn.5 |
| Marijuana laws | Not found in the public sources we checked | Make it legal for adults to buy and use His platform calls for legalizing cannabis, decriminalizing small amounts of some other drugs and clearing records for drug possession for personal use.3 | His campaign website says he would make medical marijuana legal, commute the sentences of prisoners held on nonviolent marijuana charges and put recreational cannabis to a statewide vote.4 | Not found in the public sources we checked |
| Police funding | Not found in the public sources we checked | His platform would send state-trained social workers with local police to mental health crises and other nonviolent emergencies, and would rely less on school resource officers, using that money for school safety improvements.3 | Increase police funding, for example to hire more officers His campaign website says he would raise pay for and hire more state and local law enforcement officers, and add mental health response teams for crises that do not need armed officers.4 | His campaign website says he would work with law enforcement to dismantle criminal networks and expand school resource officer programs.5 |
| State K-12 school funding | Not found in the public sources we checked | Increase state funding for public schools His platform says South Carolina must invest deeply in its schools instead of cutting funding, and proposes free breakfast and lunch for all students and year-round schools.3 | His campaign website says he would invest in public education and order a full audit of the public school system to improve access and quality.4 | His campaign website says he would fully fund public schools.5 |
| State and local role in immigration enforcement | Not found in the public sources we checked | His platform says the state should reject cooperation with what it calls abuses by ICE.3 | Not found in the public sources we checked | His campaign website says he would enforce immigration law and back state and local efforts to support federal immigration authorities.5 |
| Property taxes | Not found in the public sources we checked | Not found in the public sources we checked | His campaign website says he would work with local governments to reduce property taxes for working families.4 | His campaign website says he supports exploring every way to reduce and eliminate personal property taxes for seniors and veterans, and that he would work to eliminate the car tax for them.5 |
| State income tax | Not found in the public sources we checked | Not found in the public sources we checked | His campaign website opposes eliminating the state income tax, saying that would mainly benefit the wealthiest, and proposes raising the share of families who pay no income tax to 70%.4 | Phase out the state income tax His campaign website says he will fight to eliminate the state income tax.5 |
Issues only one candidate has addressed
By candidate, in ballot order. We found nothing public from the other candidates in this race on these issues.
Walid Hakim — 8 issues
- Books in school librariesHis platform says he opposes book bans.3
- Tuition-free collegeHis platform proposes tuition-free college for students entering critical professions such as nursing, medicine, engineering and teaching, repaid by living and working in South Carolina for 10 to 20 years.3
- Child care costsHis platform proposes state-funded child care at every public school.3
- Health insurance systemAdd a government plan that anyone can choose to buyHis platform proposes a state-owned Carolina Insurance Company that would offer every resident medical, dental and vision coverage for $100 a month per person or $200 per family, with no deductibles or co-pays.3
- Medicaid expansionHis platform calls for expanding Medicaid by accepting all available federal funds.3
- Large investors buying single-family homesHis platform would bar any person or company from owning more than 12 single-family homes, with extra homes sold to South Carolina residents or bought by the state at market value through eminent domain.3
- Passenger trains and AmtrakExpand funding for passenger rail, including new high-speed linesHis platform proposes high-speed rail connecting South Carolina's major cities, along with free, solar-powered public buses.3
- Who has authority on tribal landsHis platform says he would review the state's treaties and agreements with Native American tribes for compliance and acknowledge the sovereignty of all tribes in South Carolina.3
Jermaine Johnson — 5 issues
- Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programsHis campaign website lists stopping an anti-DEI bill among his accomplishments in the state House.4
- Paid family and medical leaveHis campaign website says he would give employers incentives to offer paid family leave for fathers.4
- State minimum wageHis campaign website says he would create a labor advisory council to recommend a state minimum wage, remove barriers to employment and fight wage theft.4
- State sales taxesHis campaign website says that in his first term in the state House he passed a bill to lower the sales tax for seniors.4
- High-speed internet accessHis campaign website says that in his first term in the state House he expanded broadband access.4
Alan Wilson — 6 issues
- Mandatory minimum sentencesHis campaign website says he would strengthen penalties for fentanyl and violent offenders.5
- Environmental and social factors in investingHis campaign website says he will continue to stand up to ESG mandates.5
- Classroom teaching on race, gender and sexualityHis campaign website says he would keep what it calls woke indoctrination out of classrooms and give parents a voice in their children's education.5
- Vouchers and education savings accountsHis campaign website says he would expand school choice so families have more control over their children's education.5
- Federal benefits and services for noncitizensHis campaign website says he would deny state benefits to people living in the state illegally.5
- State government spendingHis campaign website says he would audit state and local governments to root out fraud, waste and abuse and return that money to taxpayers, and would end earmarks.5
Issue statements are drafted by AI from the public sources cited, and only cover what each candidate has said publicly.