2018 South Carolina gubernatorial election

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.

Republicans won a fifth straight election, their longest such streak in history.

Nominee

 * Henry McMaster, incumbent governor
 * Running mate: Pamela Evette, businesswoman

Defeated in runoff

 * John Warren, businessman
 * Running mate: Pat McKinney, businessman

Defeated in primary

 * Kevin Bryant, incumbent Lieutenant Governor
 * Yancey McGill, former Democratic lieutenant governor and former Democratic state senator
 * Catherine Templeton, attorney, former director of the Department of Health and Environmental Control and former director of the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation
 * Running mate: Walt Wilkins, Greenville County Solicitor

Declined

 * Tom Davis, state senator
 * Jeff Duncan, U.S. Representative
 * Mikee Johnson, businessman and former chairman of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce (endorsed Catherine Templeton)
 * Tim Scott, U.S. Senator
 * Joe Taylor, former South Carolina Secretary of Commerce
 * Billy Wilkins, former Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
 * Alan Wilson, attorney general (running for re-election)

Results
[[File:2018 SC GOP gubernatorial primary.svg|thumb|Primary results by county: McMaster

{{legend|#c83737|McMaster—60–70%}}

{{legend|#d35f5f|McMaster—50–60%}}

{{legend|#de8787|McMaster—40–50%}}

{{legend|#e9afaf|McMaster—30–40%}} Warren

{{legend|#afe9dd|Warren—30–40%}}

{{legend|#87decd|Warren—40–50%}} Templeton

{{legend|#decd87|Templeton—40–50%}} McGill

{{legend|#87de87|McGill—40–50%}} ]]

Results
[[File:2018 SC gubernatorial Republican runoff.svg|thumb|Primary runoff results by county: McMaster

{{legend|#782121|McMaster—80–90%}}

{{legend|#a02c2c|McMaster—70–80%}}

{{legend|#c83737|McMaster—60–70%}}

{{legend|#d35f5f|McMaster—50–60%}} Warren

{{legend|#5fd3bc|Warren—50–60%}}

{{legend|#37c8ab|Warren—60–70%}}

{{legend|#2ca089|Warren—70–80%}} ]]

Nominee

 * James Smith, state representative
 * Running mate: Mandy Powers Norrell, state representative

Defeated in Primary

 * Phil Noble, business and technology consultant and candidate for lieutenant governor in 1994
 * Running mate: Gloria Bromell Tinubu, former Atlanta, Georgia City Councilwoman, former Georgia State Representative and nominee for SC-07 in 2012 and 2014
 * Marguerite Willis, attorney
 * Running mate: John Scott, state senator

Declined

 * Steve Benjamin, Mayor of Columbia
 * Marlon Kimpson, state senator
 * Inez Tenenbaum, former State Superintendent of Education, former chair of the Consumer Product Safety Commission and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2004

Results
[[File:2018 SC gubernatorial Democratic primary.svg|thumb|Primary results by county: Smith

{{legend|#2c5aa0|Smith—70–80%}}

{{legend|#3771c8|Smith—60–70%}}

{{legend|#5f8dd3|Smith—50–60%}}

{{legend|#87aade|Smith—40–50%}} Willis

{{legend|#87de87|Willis—40–50%}} ]]

Declared

 * Phil Cheney (Independent), former Anderson City Councilman, candidate for SC-03 in 2006 and write-in candidate for SC-05 in 2017

Failed Nomination

 * Martin Barry (American Party), medication researcher, nomination declined by the American Party
 * Running mate: James Cartee, theater director

Predictions

 * Notes

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

 * Darlington (largest city: Hartsville)