page_title: South Carolina government and politics
section_title: Governor and Lieutenant Governor
hierarchical_section_title: South Carolina government and politics / Executive branch / Governor and Lieutenant Governor
caption_attribution_description: English: Gov. Henry McMaster, governor of South Carolina, addresses attendees during the adjutant general change of command ceremony at McEntire Joint National Guard Base in Eastover, South Carolina, Feb. 16, 2019. The change of command ceremony recognizes U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Robert E. Livingston, Jr. as the outgoing adjutant general and welcome U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Van McCarty as the incoming adjutant general. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Jerry Boffen, 108th Public Affairs Detachment)
context_page_description: South Carolina government and politics covers the three different branches of government, as well as the state constitution, law enforcement agencies, federal representation, state finances, and state taxes. South Carolina is a state in the United States of America and was the eighth admitted to the Union. The state of South Carolina was preceded by the Crown Colony of South Carolina, a constitutional monarchy which was overthrown during the American Revolution. Presently, South Carolina's government is formed as a representative democracy.
  Like most southern states, South Carolina is a largely conservative, Republican state. Since the Declaration of Independence, South Carolina's politics have been controlled by three main parties: the Democratic Republican Party in the early 1800s, the Democratic Party through most of the 19th and 20th centuries, and the Republican Party in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
  As of 2020, the Republican Party controls all nine state executive offices, both U.S. Senate offices, five of seven representatives to the U.S. House of Representatives, and a majority in the South Carolina General Assembly.
context_section_description: The Governor of South Carolina is the chief executive of the state. The governor is elected to a four-year term and may serve up to two consecutive terms. The current governor is Republican Henry McMaster who succeeded to the office of Governor of South Carolina when Governor Nikki Haley resigned to become the United States Ambassador to the United Nations. The Lieutenant Governor is the second-in-command of the state's executive branch. The Lt. Governor assumes the office if the Governor is unable to fulfill his or her duties. Prior to the 2018 gubernatorial election, Governors and Lieutenant Governors were elected on separate tickets. But for the 2018 election and beyond, the governor and lieutenant governor run on the same ticket.
caption: Henry McMaster, the current Governor of SC
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