South Carolina state Rep. Jermaine Johnson, a Richland County Democrat, announced he is considering a bid for governor in 2026.
The 39-year-old legislator said Saturday he is launching an exploratory committee as he decides whether to run next year.
"I'm so concerned with the direction that we're taking (as a state)," Johnson told reporters.
Johnson added state politicians are spending too much time talking about charged social issues, rather than issues that impact everyday South Carolinians, like roads and health care.
"I wanted to make sure they (Democrats) had an option. We don't want to give anybody a free path to the governor's mansion without any opposition," he added.
Johnson is the first Democrat to publicly announce they are considering a bid.
The Republican primary is expected to be a more crowded race.
Republican Gov. Henry McMaster, South Carolina's longest-serving governor, is term limited.
Possible 2026 GOP candidates include:
- Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette
- Attorney General Alan Wilson
- 1st District Congresswoman Nancy Mace
- 5th District Congressman Ralph Norman
- State Sen. Josh Kimbrell, R-Spartanburg
- State Sen. Sean Bennett, R-Dorchester
Democrats have not won the governor's office in the red state since 1998, when Jim Hodges beat Republican David Beasley.
The party came close in 2010, when Vincent Sheheen lost by 4.5 percentage points to Nikki Haley. Sheheen challenged Haley again in 2014, losing by more than 14 percentage points.
Johnson was first elected to the Statehouse in 2020, when he beat then-Democratic state Rep. Jimmy Bales, a 22-year veteran of the South Carolina House.
Johnson, who is Black, said at the time that he was motivated to run and win amid the national protests that followed the murder of George Floyd.
The Hopkins-based lawmaker owns and runs Dream Team Consulting and owns an insurance agency, according to Johnson's LinkedIn account. He's also employed as an adjunct professor at Midlands Technical College in Columbia.
