A Democrat has entered the race for South Carolina Governor in 2026, with trial attorney Mullins McLeod announcing his candidacy Monday.
McLeod in May was arrested for disorderly conduct after he was found wandering his neighborhood in little more than his underwear and yelling at the top of his lungs, according to the Charleston Police Department. The charges are still pending and McLeod declined to comment on them to The State.
In a campaign announcement posted to YouTube video, McLeod said leadership in South Carolina has repeatedly put the interests of donors ahead of constituents.
“I’m running for Governor for the reason people should run for higher office,” McLeod said. “I have something to say, and I believe there’s a job that needs to be done, and it needs to be done now.”
McLeod described a “cancer” in the Palmetto State government.
“The name of that cancer is corruption,” McLeod said. “Now you won’t read about this corruption in the newspaper, and you won’t see it on the nightly news, and there’s a reason. You see, the establishment in Columbia does not want us to know that they have sold us out in favor of their large, corporate, for-profit friends.”
McLeod added that the “establishment” in the state capital has created the “greatest con” in American political history.
“You see, for 25 years they have had the keys to this car, they have promised us every election cycle that they will take this tax burden off our backs, but yet they have failed to do so,” McLeod said.
Several Republicans have already entered the race, including U.S. Reps. Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman, Attorney General Alan Wilson, Lt Gov. Pamela Evette, and state Sen. Josh Kimbrell. Democratic state Rep. Jermaine Johnson has said was considering a run.
In his campaign announcement, McLeod called on voters to choose a Governor who will be a servant, not a politician.
“We know the cure. It’s servant leadership,” McLeod said. “It’s time that we the people kick corruption’s teeth in at the statehouse.”
McLeod also ran for Governor of South Carolina in 2010 as a Democrat, but withdrew during the Democratic Primary, according to FitsNews.
On his campaign website, McLeod said he will take on “crony capitalism,” and touted his many years of working as a trial lawyer. He implies GOP blame for South Carolina now ranking 43rd in the nation for education, and 49th for elder abuse.
Still, Democrats are at a large disadvantage in statewide races. The state hasn’t elected a Democratic Governor since 1998 and Republicans hold a sizable voter registration advantage, with a little more than 49% of the electorate, compared to 41% for Democrats, according to the most recent L2 voter data.
