Republican Tommy Paradise faces Democrat Malcolm Green for the open House District 86 seat covering parts of Aiken and Lexington counties. 

REPUBLICAN — Tommy Paradise

• Experience: Nearly five decades of public service, beginning with Aiken Public Safety and followed by senior local-government, planning and development positions.
• Taxes and Spending: Supports cutting taxes, reducing wasteful spending and stronger taxpayer accountability.
• Economic Development: Supports local businesses, job creation and responsible economic growth.
• Growth and Infrastructure: Emphasizes responsible growth and requiring new development to contribute fairly toward roads, water, sewer and other infrastructure.
• Public Safety: Supports law enforcement, fire and EMS and emphasizes combating dangerous drugs including fentanyl. 

DEMOCRAT — Malcolm Green

• Background: Project-management professional.
• Economic Development: Emphasizes workforce growth, good-paying jobs and support for local businesses.
• Growth and Infrastructure: Supports responsible growth and improvements to roads and utilities.
• Community Investment: Places greater emphasis on community investment and public programs.

The Choice

Both candidates talk about growth, infrastructure and economic development. Paradise approaches those issues from a conservative, lower-tax and taxpayer-accountability perspective; Green places greater emphasis on community investment and public programs.

This comparison is based on candidate campaign materials, public records and other publicly available information. Positions are summarized for voter information; readers are encouraged to review each candidate's own statements and campaign materials for additional detail.

REPUBLICAN — Melissa Oremus

• Life: Supports protections for unborn children and has also emphasized the elderly, disabled and people affected by addiction.
• Education: Supports directing more funding to classrooms, modernizing facilities and increasing teacher pay.
• Gun Rights: Strong supporter of Second Amendment rights and constitutional carry.
• Taxes: Supports lower state income taxes.
• Economy: Supports infrastructure and economic-development initiatives intended to attract employers and create jobs.

DEMOCRAT — Darnell Holston

• Infrastructure: Emphasizes roads, rural broadband, water and sewer.
• Education: Supports greater funding for public schools, college affordability and workforce-development programs.
• Healthcare: Supports Medicaid expansion.
• Economy: Supports tax relief and reduced consumer costs together with government investment in economic development.

The Choice

Oremus emphasizes conservative social policy, gun rights, lower taxes and economic development. Holston emphasizes infrastructure, public education, healthcare expansion and workforce development.

This comparison is based on candidate campaign materials, public records and other publicly available information. Positions are summarized for voter information; readers are encouraged to review each candidate's own statements and campaign materials for additional detail.

REPUBLICAN — Bill Hixon

• Has served in the House since 2011.
• Chairs the House Agriculture, Natural Resources & Environmental Affairs Committee.
• Emphasizes keeping taxes and spending low and encouraging economic development.
• Supports reducing regulatory burdens on businesses.
• Has substantial legislative responsibility for agriculture, natural resources and conservation.

DEMOCRAT — Jason Payne

• Army veteran and security professional with military, professional and community-service experience.
• Emphasizes practical problem-solving and “neighbors before politics.”
• Supports public education and additional public investment.
• Supports affordable healthcare and reproductive rights.

The Choice

Hixon offers long legislative experience and a business-oriented, lower-tax approach. Payne emphasizes community-centered problem-solving, public education and a more progressive approach to healthcare and social policy. State House of Representatives,…

This comparison is based on candidate campaign materials, public records and other publicly available information. Positions are summarized for voter information; readers are encouraged to review each candidate's own statements and campaign materials for additional detail.

REPUBLICAN — Suzy Spurgeon

• Former director of the Edgefield County Emergency Management Agency.
• Supports lower taxes, economic growth and reduced government spending.
• Emphasizes support and funding for first responders.
• Supports traditional conservative values.
• Generally favors private-sector solutions over expanded government welfare programs.

DEMOCRAT — William “Bill” Clyburn

• Has represented District 82 since 1995.
• Brings a long legislative record.
• Supports government programs and public investment addressing education, economic development and community needs.
• Favors an active state role in public services and community investment.

The Choice

Spurgeon offers a conservative, lower-tax and smaller-government alternative. Clyburn offers decades of legislative experience and a more active-government approach to education, development and public services.

This comparison is based on candidate campaign materials, public records and other publicly available information. Positions are summarized for voter information; readers are encouraged to review each candidate's own statements and campaign materials for additional detail.

REPUBLICAN — Charlie Hartz

• Small-business owner and first-term state representative.
• Supports cutting state income taxes and reducing wasteful spending.
• Prioritizes Aiken County road and infrastructure funding.
• Supports strong funding for law enforcement and first responders.
• Supports school choice, higher teacher pay and parental rights.
• Pro-life and strongly supportive of Second Amendment rights. 

DEMOCRAT — Pete Swales

• Democratic challenger with no legislative voting record.
• The materials reviewed contain relatively limited publicly documented policy detail compared with Hartz's established legislative and campaign record.

The Choice

Hartz is running on an established conservative platform centered on taxes, roads, public safety, parental rights and business-friendly policy. Swales offers a Democratic alternative but currently has a less developed public policy record.

This comparison is based on candidate campaign materials, public records and other publicly available information. Positions are summarized for voter information; readers are encouraged to review each candidate's own statements and campaign materials for additional detail.

Republican incumbent Joe Wilson faces Democrat Zyon Khalifa in South Carolina's 2nd Congressional District.

REPUBLICAN — Joe Wilson

• Experience: Has served in Congress since 2001.
• Taxes: Supports lower taxes and making recent tax reductions permanent.
• Immigration: Supports stronger border enforcement and immigration restrictions.
• Guns: Supports Second Amendment protections.
• National Defense: Places strong emphasis on military readiness and national defense.
• Government: Favors smaller federal government and lower spending.

DEMOCRAT — Zyon Khalifa

• Experience: Would be new to Congress.
• Domestic Policy: Places greater emphasis on federal resources for working-family affordability and domestic priorities.
• Immigration: Gives greater emphasis to legal pathways and immigrant communities.
• Guns: Supports additional gun-safety measures.
• National Defense: Has been more critical of some military spending and argues for directing more resources toward domestic needs.

The Choice

Wilson emphasizes lower taxes, border enforcement, gun rights, national defense and smaller government. Khalifa emphasizes domestic investment, working-family affordability, legal immigration pathways and additional gun regulation.

This comparison is based on candidate campaign materials, public records and other publicly available information. Positions are summarized for voter information; readers are encouraged to review each candidate's own statements and campaign materials for additional detail.

Republican incumbent Curtis Loftis faces Democrat Vincent Coe for State Treasurer.

REPUBLICAN — Curtis Loftis

• Experience: Has served as State Treasurer since 2011.
• Financial Management: Has extensive experience overseeing the state's large investment and cash-management operations.
• Unclaimed Property: His office reports returning more than $470 million in unclaimed property during his tenure. 
• Philosophy: Emphasizes taxpayer accountability, efficiency and conservative financial management.
• Continuity: Offers extensive institutional experience in an office managing tens of billions of dollars.

DEMOCRAT — Vincent Coe

• Financial Background: Banker and small-business/farm owner with private-sector financial experience.
• Statewide Experience: Has not previously operated the State Treasurer's office.
• Change: Offers voters an alternative management approach to a long-serving incumbent.

The Choice

Loftis offers extensive experience and continuity. Coe offers private-sector banking experience and a change in leadership.

This comparison is based on candidate campaign materials, public records and other publicly available information. Positions are summarized for voter information; readers are encouraged to review each candidate's own statements and campaign materials for additional detail.

Republican incumbent Ellen Weaver faces Democrat Sylvia Wright for South Carolina Superintendent of Education.

REPUBLICAN — Ellen Weaver

• Experience: Has served as State Superintendent since 2023 and previously led the Palmetto Promise Institute. 
• School Choice: Strongly supports Education Scholarship Accounts and greater parental choice.
• Accountability: Emphasizes academic accountability, system reform and foundational skills.
• Teachers: Makes teacher recruitment and retention a major priority.
• Curriculum: Supports restrictions on sexually explicit material and a more conservative approach to curriculum.

DEMOCRAT — Sylvia Wright

• Experience: More than 20 years of experience in education.
• Public Schools: Emphasizes students, families and educators and strengthening the traditional public-school system.
• Teachers: Emphasizes support for educators and the public-school workforce.
• School-Choice Issues: The materials reviewed contain fewer specific public positions on vouchers, school choice and curriculum restrictions.

The Choice

Weaver emphasizes parental empowerment, school choice, accountability and curriculum reform. Wright presents a more traditional public-education approach centered on strengthening schools and educators.

This comparison is based on candidate campaign materials, public records and other publicly available information. Positions are summarized for voter information; readers are encouraged to review each candidate's own statements and campaign materials for additional detail.

Republican Senator Darline Graham faces Democrat Annie Andrews for the U.S. Senate. Graham was appointed in July 2026 following the death of Senator Lindsey Graham and is now seeking election to the seat. 

REPUBLICAN — Darline Graham

• Government and Taxes: Emphasizes lower taxes, limited government, individual responsibility and America First policies.
• Healthcare: Opposes Medicare for All and emphasizes market competition and healthcare price transparency.
• Abortion: Pro-life and supports protections for unborn children.
• Immigration: Supports stronger border enforcement and deportation of people in the country illegally.
• Guns: Strong supporter of Second Amendment rights.
• Election Security: Supports stricter voter-ID and citizenship requirements.
• Youth Gender Policy: Opposes biological males competing in girls' sports and opposes gender-transition medical interventions for minors.

DEMOCRAT — Annie Andrews

• Healthcare: Supports a stronger federal role in making healthcare affordable and strengthening Medicare and Social Security.
• Abortion: Supports abortion rights and restoration of federal protections similar to Roe v. Wade.
• Immigration: Supports border security together with immigration reform and legal pathways to citizenship.
• Guns: Supports additional gun-control measures.
• Elections: Emphasizes voting access, campaign-finance reform and ethics reform.
• Youth Gender Policy: Supports gender-affirming care for transgender youth, while stating that she opposes surgical intervention for minors and opposes biological males competing in girls' sports. New York Post

The Choice

The Senate race presents substantial differences over taxes, spending, abortion, immigration, guns, healthcare and the role of the federal government.

This comparison is based on candidate campaign materials, public records and other publicly available information. Positions are summarized for voter information; readers are encouraged to review each candidate's own statements and campaign materials for additional detail.

Republican incumbent Mark Hammond faces Democrat Jason Belton for South Carolina Secretary of State.

REPUBLICAN — Mark Hammond

• Experience: Has served as Secretary of State since 2003; previously served as Spartanburg County Clerk of Court and as a criminal investigator.
• Administration: Emphasizes efficient business filings, online services and technology-driven customer service.
• Consumer Protection: His office has emphasized enforcement against deceptive charitable fundraising.
• Election Policy: Supports stronger voter-verification requirements and tighter election procedures.

DEMOCRAT — Jason Belton

• Experience: Would be new to management of a statewide constitutional office.
• Government Approach: Favors a more active government role in oversight and regulation in some areas.
• Election Policy: Places greater emphasis on accessibility and participation.
• Management: Would need to establish an administrative record operating a statewide office.

The Choice

Hammond offers more than two decades of institutional and administrative experience. Belton offers a different governing philosophy, particularly on regulation and election access. 

This comparison is based on candidate campaign materials, public records and other publicly available information. Positions are summarized for voter information; readers are encouraged to review each candidate's own statements and campaign materials for additional detail.