U.S. Representative Ralph Norman Plans Bid for South Carolina Governor

Norman will officially enter the race this Sunday.

U.S. Representative Ralph Norman, a Republican, will compete for Governor of South Carolina in 2026. He will make his official campaign announcement at an event in Rock Hill, South Carolina on Sunday. However, he has already launched his campaign website and changed his social media handle to “Ralph Norman for Governor.”

The 2026 cycle for Governors will see 36 contested races. Both Republicans and Democrats currently hold 18 of these seats. Ten Republican Governors are term-limited or retiring while only seven Democratic Governors are barred or leaving next year. Meanwhile, Norman becomes the 17th retirement from the U.S. House of Representatives this cycle, the tenth Republican to do so, and the 14th overall leaving to run for another office.

Norman, 72, has served South Carolina’s 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives since June 2017. Residing in the north-central portion of the state, the district includes all of Cherokee, Chester, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lancaster, Lee, Union, and York Counties as well as parts of Spartanburg and Sumter Counties.

Before politics, Norman was a real estate developer at the Warren Norman Company, which was founded by his father. He then served District 48 in the South Carolina House of Representatives from January 2005 to January 2007 and again from November 2009 to February 2017. In 2006, he was the Republican nominee for the 5th District but ultimately lost by a 56.9-43.1 margin against Democratic incumbent John Spratt.

In 2017, Norman ran in the special election for the 5th District after four-term Republican incumbent Mick Mulvaney resigned to become Director of the Office of Management and Budget. The seven-candidate Republican primary went to a runoff where Norman ultimately received the nomination 50.3-49.7 against his fellow State Representative Tommy Pope. Norman was then elected to the U.S. House with a 51.0-47.9 victory against Democrat Archie Parnell. That was the only competitive congressional race he ran in. He has served for five terms in office.

During the 119th Congress, Norman serves on the House Committees on the Budget; Financial Services; and Rules. He becomes the fourth member departing the Financial Services panel - joining Republicans Andy Barr of Kentucky, Byron Donalds of Florida, and John Rose of Tennessee. Furthermore, he is the second member leaving the Budget committee - along Republican Buddy Carter of Georgia.

Norman becomes the fourth Republican to enter the primary for Governor of South Carolina in 2026. He will compete against Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette, State Senator Josh Kimbrell, and Attorney General Alan Wilson. The field could expand further as Norman’s House colleague Nancy Mace has also talking about running. Meanwhile, State Representative Jermaine Johnson has formed an exploratory committee to seek the Democratic nomination. However, Republicans have controlled the Governor’s office in South Carolina since January 2003. Two-term Republican incumbent Henry McMaster was barred from seeking another term this cycle.

Elsewhere, no candidates have yet expressed interest in running for the Democratic or Republican nominations to succeed Norman in the 5th District. Given the partisan lean of the district though, the winner of the Republican primary will likely become the next U.S. Representative here.

Under the current lines, Republican Donald Trump won South Carolina’s 5th Congressional District with a 60.7-37.9 finish against Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. That came as Trump was carrying the state 58.2-40.4 in his ultimately successful national campaign. On the same ballot, Norman over-performed with a 63.5-36.3 victory against Democrat Evangeline Hundley for his final term in office.