As Alan Wilson prepares SC governor bid, who could run for attorney general?
As Attorney General Alan Wilson prepares to join the race for governor, which he is expected to enter on Monday, that race would create a domino effect of people jumping into a race to succeed the state’s top prosecutor.
Being attorney general gives the office holder a prominent bully pulpit and the ability to weigh in on national issues. Attorneys general file or join lawsuits against the federal government depending on the party that controls the administration. The office also serves as the state’s chief criminal prosecutor, chief legal officer and securities commissioner.
Because the state is reliably Republican in statewide elections, whoever wins the GOP primary would be the favorite in the general election.
Wilson, who has been elected attorney general four times, didn’t have a general election opponent in 2022.
But no one has jumped into the race just quite yet. They’re waiting for Wilson’s announcement on a run for governor. The Associated Press reported Tuesday Wilson’s campaign launch will take place Monday.
Potential Republican candidates are already traveling the state. Potential Democratic hopefuls can probably wait a little longer to begin looking closely at the race to see how President Donald Trump and the GOP are performing in polling nationally and whether it improves their chances at the ballot box.
Here’s who could jump in to be the next attorney general.
State Sen. Stephen Goldfinch
State Sen. Stephen Goldfinch, R-Georgetown, who first ran for the General Assembly to push back against government regulations, has been touring the state meeting with county GOP group as he explores a run for attorney general.
Goldfinch was reelected in 2024 to a four-year term giving a chance to run for statewide office without risking losing his current role.
Goldfinch has been in the limelight the last couple of years. He was one of the two Senate presenters in the effort to remove Treasurer Curtis Loftis over a $1.8 billion accounting error. It gave Goldfinch an opportunity to appear like a prosecutor.
“My whole life has really been dedicated to fighting government and bureaucracy, and I think I can be an effective I think I can be an effective agent of change at the attorney general’s office, if I’m so blessed to be there,” Goldfinch said.
Goldfinch said he likes the moves made by Trump to shrink the size of the federal government, but said he’s worried about what will happen in 2029 if a Democrat is elected to the White House.
“What’s that administration going to look like, and do we have states attorneys generals in place, ready to go to enforce federalism in South Carolina? Do we have a state attorney general in South Carolina ready to go to sue the federal government to enforce our state’s rights?” Goldfinch said.
Attorney Henry D. McMaster Jr.
No, not the current governor, but rather his son. Henry D. McMaster Jr. is a lawyer at Collins and Lacy. If he runs,the name McMaster would again appears on a statewide ballot.
Henry McMaster Jr. , of Columbia, said running for attorney general is a race he would consider if he Wilson decides to run for governor. McMaster previously worked as an assistant solicitor in the 6th Judicial Circuit, where he prosecuted all levels of crime including domestic violence, criminal sexual conduct and murder.
He has a 15-week-old son and a 2-1/2-year-old daughter, which may lead to him from holding off on an immediate decision, he said in an interview.
“If I decide to run, it will be to uphold the rule of law in South Carolina, protect our conservative values, and champion President Trump’s agenda in our state,” McMaster said in a statement.
Solicitor David Pascoe
David Pascoe, the First Judicial Circuit solicitor, recently switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party. He has been making the rounds to Republican party events around the state. He is scheduled to speak to the Richland County GOP on June 30.
Pascoe said he’s considering a run for attorney general, with a decision to come in the next couple of months.
Pascoe was reelected as solicitor in the First Circuit, which includes Calhoun, Dorchester and Orangeburg counties, in 2024 to a four-year term. Like Goldfinch, Pascoe would have a free shot at running for attorney general without risking losing his current job.
In 2014, Pascoe led a prosecution that resulted in the conviction and removal from office of former House Speaker Bobby Harrell. That was followed by six more years of investigations by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and Pascoe into the activities of lobbyist Richard Quinn Sr. and his connections to five former lawmakers.
“I think South Carolina is entering a crucial time when it needs an AG, not interested in making friends in Columbia, but one who’s going to concentrate everyday on fighting the systemic culture of corruption we have,” Pascoe said. “If I’m attorney general, I will never run for any other office and I think I’ve proven I don’t care about making friends in Columbia.”
Solicitor David Stumbo
Eighth Judicial Circuit Solicitor David Stumbo also is exploring a run for attorney general, he confirmed to The State.
Stumbo has been a solicitor for more than 12 years and previously worked as an assistant deputy attorney general. He too was reelected as solicitor in 2024 to a four-year term.
The eighth circuit covers Abbeville, Greenwood, Laurens and Newberry counties.
In 2023, Stumbo spoke alongside Wilson in the attorney general’s call for judicial reform.
“Because South Carolina needs a proven, conservative prosecutor as attorney general, I am strongly considering a run should the seat open up in 2026 to put my two decades plus of experience fighting crime to work for our state,” Stumbo said in a statement to The State.
Prosecutor Creighton Waters
Creighton Waters, the chief attorney of the state grand jury section and senior assistant deputy attorney general of South Carolina, may be considered a potential contender for attorney general.
Waters said he has not ruled out a run for the Republican nomination at this point should the office open up. He does not have a timeline on a decision.
He has worked in the attorney general’s office since 1998. He’s worked over every criminal enforcement the attorney general’s office has.
“There’s a lot of good that can be done from that office particularly as it relates to enforcement of the criminal law, but not just that in South Carolina,” Waters said. “There’s a lot of things the office does. It’s a very unique place. That’s why I’ve been so dedicated to the office for so long, just because there’s so many opportunities to do something positive with your career there.”
He was the lead prosecutor in the Alex Murdaugh double murder trial putting him on television for a worldwide audience that was enamored with the case.
State Sen. Margie Bright Matthews
State Sen. Margie Bright Matthews, D-Colleton, one of the two women in the state’s upper chamber, may look at a run for attorney general, sources told the State.
Matthews, who has been a lawyer for more than 30 years now primarily focusing on litigation, received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage award in 2023 along with four other then female state senators for standing together against a total abortion in the state. The state Senate eventually passed a law that bans abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which is around the six-week mark.
She said she hasn’t weighed the option of running at this point, but it has been suggested to her.
“I’ve had some people who mentioned that I should consider that, but quite frankly after getting out of session I was just busy taking care of Margie’s family and taking care of my law office,” Matthews said.
Matthews has been in the state Senate since 2015 after winning a special election to complete the unfinished term of state Sen. Clementa Pinckney, who was killed in the Charleston church shooting. She was reelected to a four-year term in 2024, also allowing her to take a chance at the office without risk of losing her current elected role.
Her district includes parts of Beaufort, Charleston, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper counties.
