Lexington, S.C. (AP) —
Alan Wilson, the four-term Republican attorney general of South Carolina, kicked off his bid for the state’s first open gubernatorial race in 16 years, setting up a 2026 GOP primary contest that’s likely to be a heated competition for President Donald Trump’s endorsement.
Wilson held his debut campaign event at Hudson’s Smokehouse in his hometown of Lexington, a barbecue restaurant that has long been a mainstay for both presidential and state-level candidates stumping in South Carolina.
Ahead of that official launch, Wilson sat down for a wide-ranging, hourlong interview with The Associated Press, in which he laid out his vision for the gubernatorial campaign, including reforming South Carolina’s education system, growing the economy and cutting wasteful spending, in the mold of the Department of Government Efficiency that Trump stood up in his administration’s earliest days.
“I’m going to DOGE all of South Carolina government, from the bottom to the top and back down again,” Wilson told the AP on Saturday. “I want as much sunlight and transparency and accountability injected into the operation of government.”
Official filing for the state’s 2026 elections doesn’t open until March, but several other Republicans have already made moves toward running in South Carolina’s first truly open governor’s race in 16 years. State Sen. Josh Kimbrell is set to kick off his bid on Saturday.