primary

South Carolina Primary Election (verify date at your state's Secretary of State website)

Monday, June 1, 2026 · 10 days away

U.S. House, U.S. Senate, Governor, statewide offices

What’s being decided

A primary election determines which candidates advance to the November general election. Voters in each party select their nominee, and the winners face each other in the fall.

South Carolina holds an open primaryany registered voter may participate, regardless of party affiliation.

Learn how primary elections work →

Candidates

U.S. Senate

R
Tim Scott

Republican · Incumbent since 2013

Tim Scott has represented South Carolina in the U.S. Senate since 2013, becoming the first Black Republican senator from the South since Reconstruction. He ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, exiting the race before the first primary. He sits on the Senate Banking and Finance committees and has been an advocate for opportunity zones and economic development in underserved communities.

Voter information

Registration deadline

October 4, 2026 (30 days before the November 3 general)