Upstate SC Sen. Josh Kimbrell launches bid for governor. 5 things to know
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State Sen. Josh Kimbrell on Monday kicked off his bid to succeed Gov. Henry McMaster in next year’s election.
The Spartanburg County 40-year-old announced his bid in an email Monday morning jumping in front of Attorney General Alan Wilson’s expected announcement in the evening. Kimbrell is first person to officially kick off a campaign for the Republican nomination for governor in what is expected to be a crowded primary. He has scheduled a launch event for Saturday.
“This is a pivotal moment for South Carolina,” Kimbrell said in the email. “I’m fighting for a stronger, freer state rooted in our founding principles.”
Who is Kimbrell?
Kimbrell is a state senator from Spartanburg County. He was elected to the state Senate in 2020, ousting Democratic incumbent Glenn Reese. Kimbrell served as the Spartanburg County GOP chairman in 2017 and 2018, who also was previously a radio show host on an Upstate Christian talk station.
He and his wife, Liliya, have two children.
Why does it make sense for Kimbrell to run?
Kimbrell is in his second term in the state Senate. In a chamber that operates on seniority, Kimbrell is 30th out of 46 members. He may have to wait at least one more term to reach a committee chairmanship or or a seat on the Senate Finance Committee, which controls how the state spends its money through the budget process. Kimbrell was just elected to a four-year term and seeking the governor’s race comes at no risk in this cycle of losing his seat in the upper chamber.
“Any state senator who would be running has the luxury that they have a job to return to, unlike a member of Congress or an attorney general or lieutenant governor,” said former SC GOP Executive Director Alex Stroman, who is not working for any campaign for governor this cycle. “So the worst thing that can happen is that they lose and their profile’s elevated, they’re able to build a statewide fundraising network, and they kind of have a new bully pulpit in the Senate going forward.”
Kimbrell also hopes to follow in the footsteps of former Govs. Nikki Haley, Jim Hodges and David Beasley, all of whom came from the state legislature.
“He has issues that he cares about. He has a story to tell, and he wouldn’t be the first lesser known state legislator to make a run for governor and surprise people and end up winning it,” said Rob Godfrey, a longtime South Carolina GOP political strategist who is not working for any gubernatorial campaign this cycle.
Is he aligned with President Donald Trump?
The battle for Trump’s endorsement will be among the potential key factors in the race. Being aligned with Trump is expected to be critical in a state where Trump is popular among the GOP primary electorate.
For most of the lead up to the South Carolina Republican presidential primary, Kimbrell supported Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ White House bid. After Desantis dropped out, shortly before the New Hampshire primary, Kimbrell backed Trump.
Over the weekend, Kimbrell was supportive of the president’s strike on Iran.
“The president’s decision today was courageous and right. Iran’s evil regime can no longer pursue a nuclear weapon, and America, Israel, and the free world are safer tonight because of the American military,” Kimbrell posted on social media.
What advantages does Kimbrell have?
Kimbrell has conservative credentials.
He is from the vote rich Upstate, which is dominated by Republican voters. He has pushed for conservative pieces of legislation including filing a bill to eliminate the state income tax. During the 2024-25 budget process, Kimbrell added a provision to the state spending plan to require county libraries certify they are not offering any books or materials that “appeal to the sexual interest of children under the age of 17 in children’s, youth or teen book sections of libraries.”
In 2022 he added a provision to the budget to ban state money from being used to provide pediatric transgender care at the Medical University of South Carolina. He also added a provision to this year’s budget to claw back money from local governments — like Columbia’s — if they prohibit conversion therapy.
Also, his previous radio show experience will come in handy.
“He’s media savvy. He used to be a radio show host, and he’s an effective messenger,” Godfrey said. “He’s also been a leader on conservative social issues and fiscal issues in the State Senate.”
Kimbrell also is 40.
In South Carolina, the average age for a governor when he or she was elected has been 47 years old, Stroman points out.
What challenges does Kimbrell face?
A Winthrop University poll found he had 26% name recognition among Republican voters. Kimbrell has about $7,300 in his senate campaign account as of March 31, 2025. Money can be transferred into a governor’s campaign account with permission from donors.
“He’s got to hit the ground running getting to know people in every corner of the state. He has to raise a lot of money to boost his name ID, and he’s got to distinguish himself from among some pretty well-known and well-supported opponents to be able to make his case,” Godfrey said.
But he also has a voting record, which can be dissected and possibly used against him. He may have to explain some of his votes.
“You’re taking a lot of votes on a lot of different issues, and so you have a record, and so your opponents are able to look at your votes, look at your votes in committee,” Stroman said.
This story was originally published June 23, 2025 at 10:17 AM.
