
A special Republican Party primary is scheduled for August 11, 2026, in South Carolina to determine which Republican candidate will run in the state's general election on November 3, 2026. The special primary became necessary after incumbent Lindsey Graham (R), the Republican nominee selected at the June 9 primary, died on July 11, 2026. Graham…

On July 11, 2026, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) died at the age of 71. He is the first U.S. Senator from South Carolina to die in office since Olin D. Johnston (D-S.C.) died on April 18, 1965. He is also the fourth member of the U.S. Senate since 2013 to die in office and the…

Jenny Honeycutt (R) defeated Mark Smith (R) in the Republican primary runoff for South Carolina's 1st Congressional District on June 23, 2026. Honeycutt and Smith were the top two finishers in the June 9 primary. Honeycutt received 22.1% of the primary vote and Smith received 18.0%. They advanced to a runoff after neither received more…

Jenny Honeycutt (R) and Mark Smith (R) are running in the Republican primary runoff for South Carolina's 1st Congressional District on June 23, 2026. Honeycutt and Smith were the top two finishers in the June 9 primary. Honeycutt received 22.1% of the vote and Smith received 18.0%. They advanced to a runoff after neither received…

Jenny Honeycutt (R) and Mark Smith (R) advanced to a June 23 runoff in the Republican primary for South Carolina's 1st Congressional District on June 9, 2026. Honeycutt, Smith, Jay Byars (R), Sam McCown (R), and Alex Pelbath (R) led in fundraising and local media attention ahead of the primary. Five other candidates also ran.…

New congressional maps are still possible in Alabama and Louisiana, while South Carolina will use its existing congressional map again this year. After new congressional maps took effect in Florida and Tennessee earlier this month, 2026 redistricting pursuits are a wrap in all but a few states. A panel of federal judges blocked Alabama's 2023…

This year’s filing deadline for candidates running for the U.S. House of Representatives in South Carolina was March 30, 2026. Two districts are open this year because their incumbents — Rep. Nancy Mace (R-1st) and Rep. Ralph Norman (R-5th) — are both retiring to run for governor of South Carolina. That’s the highest number of…

Thirty-six South Carolina state legislative incumbents face primary contests in 2026, a 29% decrease from the number that faced challengers in 2024. Twelve of the contested incumbents are Democrats, and 24 are Republicans. All of them are state representatives, as no state senators were up for election. South Carolina has 59 contested state legislative primaries…

The South Carolina Legislature adjourned its 2026 regular legislative session on May 14 after approving four pieces of election-related legislation. Among those was H 3556, which establishes certain dates when municipal elections may be held in odd-numbered years. The bill also allows only municipalities with more than 10,000 residents to have a municipal elections commission…

Since the U.S. Supreme Court decided Louisiana v. Callais on April 29, two more states — Florida and Tennessee — have redrawn their congressional maps, Virginia’s map was blocked from certification by the Virginia Supreme Court, and the Alabama Legislature approved legislation that would set special primary elections in affected districts if courts roll back…