Governor | Term Start | Term End | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henry McMaster | Jan 24, 2017 | - | Republican |
| Nikki Haley | Jan 12, 2011 | Jan 24, 2017 | Republican |
| Mark Sanford | Jan 15, 2003 | Jan 12, 2011 | Republican |
| Jim Hodges | Jan 13, 1999 | Jan 15, 2003 | Democratic |
| David Beasley | Jan 11, 1995 | Jan 13, 1999 | Republican |
| Carroll A. Campbell, Jr. | Jan 14, 1987 | Jan 11, 1995 | Republican |
| Richard Riley | Jan 10, 1979 | Jan 14, 1987 | Democratic |
| James B. Edwards | Jan 21, 1975 | Jan 10, 1979 | Republican |
| John C. West | Jan 19, 1971 | Jan 21, 1975 | Democratic |
| Robert Evander McNair | Apr 22, 1965 | Jan 19, 1971 | Democratic |
| Donald Stuart Russell | Jan 15, 1963 | Apr 22, 1965 | Democratic |
| Ernest Hollings | Jan 20, 1959 | Jan 15, 1963 | Democratic |
| George Bell Timmerman, Jr. | Jan 18, 1955 | Jan 15, 1959 | Democratic |
| James Francis Byrnes | Jan 16, 1951 | Jan 18, 1955 | Democratic |
| Strom Thurmond | Jan 21, 1947 | Jan 16, 1951 | Democratic |
| Ransome Judson Williams | Jan 2, 1945 | Jan 21, 1947 | Democratic |
| Olin D. Johnston | Jan 19, 1943 | Jan 2, 1945 | Democratic |
| Richard Manning Jefferies | Mar 2, 1942 | Jan 19, 1943 | Democratic |
| Joseph Emile Harley | Nov 4, 1941 | Feb 27, 1942 | Democratic |
| Burnet R. Maybank | Jan 17, 1939 | Nov 4, 1941 | Democratic |
| Olin D. Johnston | Jan 15, 1935 | Jan 17, 1939 | Democratic |
| Ibra Charles Blackwood | Jan 20, 1931 | Jan 15, 1935 | Democratic |
| John Gardiner Richards, Jr. | Jan 18, 1927 | Jan 20, 1931 | Democratic |
| Thomas Gordon McLeod | Jan 16, 1923 | Jan 18, 1927 | Democratic |
| Wilson Godfrey Harvey | May 20, 1922 | Jan 16, 1923 | Democratic |
| Robert Archer Cooper | Jan 21, 1919 | May 20, 1922 | Democratic |
| Richard Irvine Manning III | Jan 19, 1915 | Jan 21, 1919 | Democratic |
| Charles Aurelius Smith | Jan 14, 1915 | Jan 19, 1915 | Democratic |
| Coleman Livingston Blease | Jan 17, 1911 | Jan 14, 1915 | Democratic |
| Martin Frederick Ansel | Jan 15, 1907 | Jan 17, 1911 | Democratic |
| Duncan Clinch Heyward | Jan 20, 1903 | Jan 15, 1907 | Democratic |
| Miles Benjamin McSweeney | Jun 2, 1899 | Jan 20, 1903 | Democratic |
| William Haselden Ellerbe | Jan 18, 1897 | Jun 2, 1899 | Democratic |
| John Gary Evans | Dec 4, 1894 | Jan 18, 1897 | Democratic |
| Benjamin Ryan Tillman | Dec 4, 1890 | Dec 4, 1894 | Democratic |
| John Peter Richardson III | Nov 30, 1886 | Dec 4, 1890 | Democratic |
| John Calhoun Sheppard | Jul 10, 1886 | Nov 30, 1886 | Democratic |
| Hugh Smith Thompson | Dec 1, 1882 | Jul 10, 1886 | Democratic |
| Johnson Hagood | Nov 30, 1880 | Dec 1, 1882 | Democratic |
| Thomas Bothwell Jeter | Sep 1, 1880 | Nov 30, 1880 | Democratic |
| William Dunlap Simpson | Feb 26, 1879 | Sep 1, 1880 | Democratic |
| Wade Hampton III | Apr 11, 1877 | Sep 26, 1879 | Democratic |
| Chamberlain | Dec 14, 1876 | Apr 11, 1877 | Disputed |
| Daniel Henry Chamberlain | Dec 1, 1874 | Dec 14, 1876 | Republican |
| Franklin J. Moses, Jr. | Dec 7, 1872 | Dec 1, 1874 | Republican |
| Robert Kingston Scott | Jul 6, 1868 | Dec 7, 1872 | Republican |
| James Lawrence Orr | Nov 26, 1865 | Jul 6, 1868 | No Party |
| Benjamin Franklin Perry | Jun 30, 1865 | Nov 29, 1865 | Unionist Democrat |
| United States | May 25, 1865 | Jun 30, 1865 | Second Military District (Military Government) |
| Andrew Gordon Magrath | Dec 18, 1864 | May 25, 1865 | Confederate Democrat |
| Milledge Luke Bonham | Dec 17, 1862 | Dec 18, 1864 | Confederate Democrat |
| Francis Wilkinson Pickens | Dec 14, 1860 | Dec 17, 1862 | Confederate Democrat |
| William Henry Gist | Dec 10, 1858 | Dec 14, 1860 | Democratic |
| Robert F.W. Allston | Dec 9, 1856 | Dec 10, 1858 | Democratic |
| James Hopkins Adams | Dec 11, 1854 | Dec 9, 1856 | Democratic |
| John Lawrence Manning | Dec 9, 1852 | Dec 11, 1854 | Democratic |
| John Hugh Means | Dec 13, 1850 | Dec 9, 1852 | Democratic |
| Whitemarsh B. Seabrook | Dec 12, 1848 | Dec 13, 1850 | Democratic |
| David Johnson | Dec 8, 1846 | Dec 12, 1848 | Democratic |
| William Aiken, Jr. | Dec 7, 1844 | Dec 8, 1846 | Democratic |
| James Henry Hammond | Dec 8, 1842 | Dec 7, 1844 | Democratic |
| John Peter Richardson II | Dec 9, 1840 | Dec 8, 1842 | Democratic |
| Barnabas Kelet Henagan | Apr 7, 1840 | Dec 9, 1840 | Democratic |
| Patrick Noble | Dec 7, 1838 | Apr 7, 1840 | Democratic |
| Pierce Mason Butler | Dec 10, 1836 | Dec 7, 1838 | Democratic |
| George McDuffie | Dec 9, 1834 | Dec 10, 1836 | Democratic |
| Robert Young Hayne | Dec 10, 1832 | Dec 9, 1834 | Nullifier (Democratic) |
| James Hamilton, Jr. | Dec 9, 1830 | Dec 10, 1832 | Nullifier (Democratic) |
| Stephen Decatur Miller | Dec 6, 1828 | Dec 9, 1830 | Nullifier (Democratic) |
| John Taylor | Dec 9, 1826 | Dec 6, 1828 | Democratic-Republican |
| Richard Irvine Manning I | Dec 3, 1824 | Dec 9, 1826 | Democratic-Republican |
| John Lyde Wilson | Dec 7, 1822 | Dec 3, 1824 | Democratic-Republican |
| Thomas Bennett, Jr. | Dec 7, 1820 | Dec 7, 1822 | Democratic-Republican |
| John Geddes | Dec 8, 1818 | Dec 7, 1820 | Democratic-Republican |
| Andrew Pickens | Dec 5, 1816 | Dec 8, 1818 | Democratic-Republican |
| David Rogerson Williams | Dec 10, 1814 | Dec 5, 1816 | Democratic-Republican |
| Joseph Alston | Dec 10, 1812 | Dec 10, 1814 | Democratic-Republican |
| Henry Middleton | Dec 8, 1810 | Dec 10, 1812 | Democratic-Republican |
| John Drayton | Dec 10, 1808 | Dec 8, 1810 | Democratic-Republican |
| Charles Pinckney | Dec 9, 1806 | Dec 10, 1808 | Democratic-Republican |
| Paul Hamilton | Dec 7, 1804 | Dec 9, 1806 | Democratic-Republican |
| James Burchill Richardson | Dec 8, 1802 | Dec 7, 1804 | Democratic-Republican |
| John Drayton | Jan 23, 1800 | Dec 8, 1802 | Democratic-Republican |
| Edward Rutledge | Dec 18, 1798 | Jan 23, 1800 | Federalist |
| Charles Pinckney | Dec 8, 1796 | Dec 18, 1798 | Democratic-Republican |
| Arnoldus Vanderhorst | Dec 17, 1794 | Dec 8, 1796 | Federalist |
| William Moultrie | Dec 5, 1792 | Dec 17, 1794 | Federalist |
South Carolina governors, like the current and 117th governor of South Carolina, Henry Dargan McMaster, continue to reveal that changes are happening to the gubernatorial landscape in South Carolina. In addition to also being a Republican, McMaster has also served as South Carolina governor since January 24, 2017.
Recognized and declared a state in 1788 made South Carolina the 8th state in the U.S. That is not only a long history but also a long history of South Carolina governors. One look at the records, however, will reveal a particularly eye-catching fact. From April 11, 1877, to September 26, 1879, when Democrat Wade Hampton III served as governor until Democrat, John C West, was unseated on Jan 21, 1975, no other party held the seat of governor in South Carolina. For nearly 100 years the positions of South Carolina governors were owned by Democrats.
That is also part of the change of landscape that Republican and current South Carolina governor Henry McMaster represents. Since 1979, in fact, only two Democrats have held the office of governor of South Carolina. With a loud voice and strong representation in discussions like gun control, this State of approximately 5 million may also be making a statement about its political direction.
The current governor of South Carolina is Henry McMaster, a Republican.
There have been 84 governors of South Carolina, 49 Democrats, 9 Republicans, and 26 from other parties.
The last Republican governor in South Carolina is Henry McMaster, who has served from 2017 to the present day.
The last Democrat governor in South Carolina was Jim Hodges, who served from 1999 to 2003.