Member brief No. SC-02
Reviewed October 31, 2026
SC-02 · South Carolina
Joe Wilson
Republican. Trump won South Carolina in 2024. Not flagged for 2032 redistricting risk.
- Age on Election Day 2028
- 81
- Born July 31, 1947.
- Lean
- R+7
- Lean Republican. Cook PVI, 2026 lines.
- In the House since
- 2001
- Served since December 18, 2001.
- Cash on hand
- $137K
- $137,249. Reporting period ended October 14, 2026
The 2026 race
- November 3, 2026
- Leads the count
Against Zyon Khalifa (D). As of November 5, 2026.
- Primary
- Won with 74.2%
June 9. Next: Hamp Redmond, 13.9%, and one other.
Also on the November ballot: Dayna Alane Smith (Workers).
Endorsements, 2026
Endorsed: Donald Trump.
None on record: Club for Growth, Turning Point Action, MAHA PAC.
What a race here costs
TV: Columbia, 450,000 homes. The district is 49% of the market; 2 markets in all.
2026 primary: $681K spent, $10.84 a vote
2024 general: $318K spent, $0.89 a vote
In the House, 119th Congress
Committees: Armed Services · Education and Workforce · Foreign Affairs
General-election outcomes
- 2024 vote share
- 59.53%
- Victory margin
- +19.29 pts
- Trump, 2024
- 56.21% · +13.91 pts
Margin 5.38 points above Trump. Vote share 3.33 points above.
2024 election districts. Valid votes; margin over the runner-up. Runner-up: David Robinson II. Returns · Trump baseline · Method. Reviewed November 5, 2026.
Money, past cycles
| Cycle | Raised | From individuals | Cash at year end |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $1.7M | 57% | $74K |
| 2022 | $1.0M | 55% | $264K |
| 2024 | $881K | 53% | $45K |
Scorecards and grades
- Conservative average, out of 100
- 79.2
- Progressive average, out of 100
- 8.4 (LCV 3, Progressive Punch 2, Stop Corruption Now 20)
- IAP Action score, immigration
- 115, rank 93 of 431
- Gun Owners of America grade, 2024
- B+
Read October 4, 2026 from the member’s page on heritageaction.com, clubforgrowth.org, tpaction.com, gopscorecard.limitedgov.org.