The governor of South Carolina is the head of government of South Carolina and serves as commander-in-chief of the U.S. state's military forces. The current governor is Henry McMaster, who is also the longest serving governor in South Carolina's history.

Governors

South Carolina was one of the original Thirteen Colonies and was admitted as a state on May 23, 1788. Before it declared its independence, South Carolina was a colony of the Kingdom of Great Britain. It seceded from the Union on December 20, 1860, and was a founding member of the Confederate States of America on February 4, 1861.Constitution for the Provisional Government of the Confederate States of America , accessed July 8, 2015 Following the end of the American Civil War, South Carolina during Reconstruction was part of the Second Military District, which exerted some control over governor appointments and elections. South Carolina was readmitted to the Union on July 9, 1868.Act authorizing readmission on ratification of 14th amendment: . Proclamation of South Carolina's ratification: .

Under the first constitution of South Carolina, a president of the state was elected for a term of two years, who then could not run again until four years had passed. The 1865 constitution briefly increased terms to four years, but that was changed in the 1868 constitution back to two years, with no term limit. An amendment in 1926 increased term lengths to four years, but limited governors to not being able to succeed themselves; an amendment in 1981 allowed governors to succeed themselves once. The 1776 constitution created the office of vice-president, renamed to lieutenant governor in 1778, to succeed to the governorship should it become vacant.

+ Governors of the State of South CarolinaGovernorTerm in officePartyElectionLt. Governor31 John RutledgeMarch 26, 1776–March 6, 1778No parties1776 32Rawlins LowndesMarch 6, 1778–January 9, 1779177831John RutledgeJanuary 9, 1779–January 31, 1782177933John MathewsJanuary 31, 1782–February 5, 1783178234Benjamin GuerardFebruary 5, 1783–February 10, 17851783Vacant35William MoultrieFebruary 10, 1785–February 21, 1787178536Thomas PinckneyFebruary 21, 1787–January 26, 1789178737Charles PinckneyJanuary 26, 1789–December 5, 17921789179135William MoultrieDecember 5, 1792–December 17, 1794Federalist179238Arnoldus VanderhorstDecember 17, 1794–December 8, 1796Federalist179437Charles PinckneyDecember 8, 1796–December 19, 1798Democratic-Republican179639Edward RutledgeDecember 19, 1798–January 23, 1800Federalist179840John DraytonJanuary 23, 1800–December 8, 1802Democratic-RepublicanVacant180041James Burchill RichardsonDecember 8, 1802–December 7, 1804Democratic-Republican180242Paul HamiltonDecember 7, 1804–December 9, 1806Democratic-Republican180437Charles PinckneyDecember 9, 1806–December 10, 1808Democratic-Republican180640John DraytonDecember 10, 1808–December 10, 1810Democratic-Republican180843Henry MiddletonDecember 10, 1810–December 10, 1812Democratic-Republican181044Joseph AlstonDecember 10, 1812–December 10, 1814Democratic-Republican181245David Rogerson WilliamsDecember 10, 1814–December 5, 1816Democratic-Republican181446Andrew PickensDecember 5, 1816–December 8, 1818Democratic-Republican181647John GeddesDecember 8, 1818–December 7, 1820Democratic-Republican181848Thomas Bennett Jr.December 7, 1820–December 9, 1822Democratic-Republican182049John Lyde WilsonDecember 9, 1822–December 3, 1824Democratic-Republican182250Richard Irvine Manning IDecember 3, 1824–December 11, 1826Democratic-Republican182451John TaylorDecember 11, 1826–December 10, 1828Democratic-Republican182652Stephen Decatur MillerDecember 10, 1828–December 9, 1830Nullifier182853James Hamilton Jr.December 9, 1830–December 11, 1832Nullifier183054Robert Y. HayneDecember 11, 1832–December 11, 1834Nullifier183255George McDuffieDecember 11, 1834–December 10, 1836Democratic183456Pierce Mason ButlerDecember 10, 1836–December 10, 1838Democratic183657Patrick NobleDecember 10, 1838–April 7, 1840Democratic183858Barnabas Kelet HenaganApril 7, 1840–December 10, 1840DemocraticVacant59John Peter Richardson IIDecember 10, 1840–December 10, 1842Democratic184060James H. HammondDecember 10, 1842–December 10, 1844Democratic184261William Aiken Jr.December 10, 1844–December 10, 1846Democratic184462David JohnsonDecember 10, 1846–December 14, 1848Democratic184663Whitemarsh Benjamin SeabrookDecember 14, 1848–December 16, 1850Democratic184864John Hugh MeansDecember 16, 1850–December 13, 1852Democratic185065John Lawrence ManningDecember 13, 1852–December 13, 1854Democratic185266James Hopkins AdamsDecember 13, 1854–December 11, 1856Democratic185467Robert Francis Withers AllstonDecember 11, 1856–December 13, 1858Democratic185668William Henry GistDecember 13, 1858–December 17, 1860Democratic185869Francis Wilkinson PickensDecember 17, 1860–December 18, 1862Democratic186070Milledge Luke BonhamDecember 18, 1862–December 19, 1864Democratic1862Vacant71Andrew Gordon MagrathDecember 19, 1864–May 28, 1865Democratic1864—VacantMay 28, 1865–June 30, 1865Vacant72Benjamin Franklin PerryJune 30, 1865Presidential Proclamation No. 46, 30 June 1865, , 770–November 29, 186573James Lawrence OrrNovember 29, 1865–July 9, 1868Democratic186574Robert Kingston ScottJuly 9, 1868–December 3, 1872Republican1868187075Franklin J. Moses Jr.December 3, 1872–December 1, 1874Republican187276Daniel Henry ChamberlainDecember 1, 1874–April 11, 1877Republican1874187677 Wade Hampton IIIDecember 14, 1876–February 26, 1879Democratic187878William Dunlap SimpsonFebruary 26, 1879–September 1, 1880DemocraticVacant79Thomas Bothwell JeterSeptember 1, 1880–November 30, 1880Democratic80Johnson HagoodNovember 30, 1880–December 5, 1882Democratic188081Hugh Smith ThompsonDecember 5, 1882–July 10, 1886Democratic1882188482John Calhoun SheppardJuly 10, 1886–November 30, 1886DemocraticVacant83John Peter Richardson IIINovember 30, 1886–December 4, 1890Democratic1886188884Benjamin TillmanDecember 4, 1890–December 4, 1894Democratic1890189285John Gary EvansDecember 4, 1894–January 18, 1897Democratic189486William Haselden EllerbeJanuary 18, 1897–June 2, 1899Democratic1896189887Miles Benjamin McSweeneyJune 2, 1899–January 21, 1903Democratic190088Duncan Clinch HeywardJanuary 21, 1903–January 15, 1907Democratic1902190489Martin Frederick AnselJanuary 15, 1907–January 17, 1911Democratic1906190890Cole L. BleaseJanuary 17, 1911–January 14, 1915Democratic1910191291Charles Aurelius SmithJanuary 14, 1915–January 19, 1915DemocraticVacant92Richard Irvine Manning IIIJanuary 19, 1915–January 21, 1919Democratic1914191693Robert Archer CooperJanuary 21, 1919–May 20, 1922Democratic1918192094Wilson Godfrey HarveyMay 20, 1922–January 16, 1923DemocraticVacant95Thomas Gordon McLeodJanuary 16, 1923–January 18, 1927Democratic1922192496John Gardiner Richards Jr.January 18, 1927–January 20, 1931Democratic1926Vacant97Ibra Charles BlackwoodJanuary 20, 1931–January 15, 1935Democratic193098Olin D. JohnstonJanuary 15, 1935–January 17, 1939Democratic193499Burnet R. MaybankJanuary 17, 1939–November 4, 1941Democratic1938100Joseph Emile HarleyNovember 4, 1941–February 27, 1942DemocraticVacant—VacantFebruary 27, 1942–March 2, 1942—101Richard Manning JefferiesMarch 2, 1942–January 19, 1943Democratic98Olin D. JohnstonJanuary 19, 1943–January 2, 1945Democratic1942102Ransome Judson WilliamsJanuary 2, 1945–January 21, 1947DemocraticVacant103Strom ThurmondJanuary 21, 1947–January 16, 1951Democratic1946104James F. ByrnesJanuary 16, 1951–January 18, 1955Democratic1950105George Bell Timmerman Jr.January 18, 1955–January 20, 1959Democratic1954106Fritz HollingsJanuary 20, 1959–January 15, 1963Democratic1958107Donald S. RussellJanuary 15, 1963–April 22, 1965Democratic1962108Robert Evander McNairApril 22, 1965–January 19, 1971DemocraticVacant1966109John C. WestJanuary 19, 1971–January 15, 1975Democratic1970110James B. EdwardsJanuary 15, 1975–January 10, 1979Republican1974111Richard RileyJanuary 10, 1979–January 14, 1987Democratic19781982112Carroll A. Campbell Jr.January 14, 1987–January 11, 1995Republican19861990113David BeasleyJanuary 11, 1995–January 13, 1999Republican1994114Jim HodgesJanuary 13, 1999–January 15, 2003Democratic1998115Mark SanfordJanuary 15, 2003–January 12, 2011Republican20022006116Nikki HaleyJanuary 12, 2011–January 24, 2017Republican20102014117 Henry McMasterJanuary 24, 2017–IncumbentRepublican20182022

See also List of South Carolina state legislatures

Notes

References General

Specific

External links Office of the Governor of South Carolina SCIway List of South Carolina Governors in Chronological Order "South Carolina's Colonial Governors" Preservation Society Halsey Map