Democratic State Rep. Jermaine Johnson enters race to become South Carolina’s next governor

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCBD) – Jermaine Johnson, a Democratic state lawmaker who’s been openly exploring a bid for higher office for months, is officially entering the 2026 race for governor of South Carolina.

Johnson formed an exploratory committee in May, arguing then that the state was at a crossroads and in need of leadership that “listens, leads with integrity, and puts people before politics.”

The state lawmaker is expected to make his campaign official during a Tuesday evening event on the steps of the Statehouse.

In a launch video posted to social media Tuesday morning, Johnson described himself as a “different kind of Democrat,” referencing his defeat of a longtime incumbent in the 2020 Democratic Primary for House District 80.

“Five years ago, when I looked and saw the same politicians get the same results, I knew I had to do something,” he says in the video. “So I took on my own party and I won. Big.”

“Because we got to call out Democrats when they aren’t getting the job done,” he continued. “Same thing for Republicans.”

Since his election, Johnson has become a prominent voice in the state’s Democratic coalition, often drawing on personal experiences to shape his arguments on the House floor.

His life’s story, from growing up homeless and losing his brother to gun violence to becoming a College of Charleston basketball star and eventually rising to political power, was chronicled in a documentary released last November.

The primary for the first open governor’s race in more than a decade will be held next June. Gov. Henry McMaster is unable to run again due to term limits.

Johnson is the second Democrat to throw his hat in the ring behind Charleston attorney Mullins McLeod, who launched his bid over the summer.

Five candidates are seeking the Republican nomination: Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, State. Sen. Josh Kimbrell, U.S. Reps. Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman, and Attorney General Alan Wilson.

Whoever wins the Democratic nomination will be a decided underdog in the general election, as a Republican has won every gubernatorial race in South Carolina since 2002.

This story is developing and may be updated.