In heightened political climate, which SC elected officials have security details?
When South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson in October opened the West Columbia headquarters of his campaign for governor, uniformed law enforcement officers provided security and waited until Wilson and his staff left.
Now, Wilson is starting the new year with his own dedicated security detail from the State Law Enforcement Division.
The detail comes after what’s been almost a year of increased attention as he seeks the governor’s office in a race that has seen increased vitriol over how well he runs his current office.
He is the third state constitutional officer to receive a SLED security detail. It comes in a climate that has seen political figures face increased threats and even assassinations of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman. Two members of the S.C.’s congressional delegation also have SLED security when they’re back in South Carolina.
SLED declined to disclose what specific threats Wilson has received or operational specifics of his detail. The attorney general’s office declined to comment on why he requested the detail. His campaign referred questions to SLED.
“SLED may also provide protection to other state constitutional officers and members of the SC congressional delegation upon request or upon the chief’s determination that a valid threat may exist,” according to an agency policy.
It’s not uncommon to see uniformed police officers at political gatherings. Usually the local police department will have an officer or two on hard because a crowd is gathered. Days after Kirk’s assassination, Columbia police had a visible police detail at a South Carolina Democratic Party event featuring U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona.
On Sept. 26, 16 days after conservative Kirk was assassinated, S.C. House Ways and Means Chairman Bruce Bannister asked SLED Chief Mark Keel to provide security services to any constitutional officer who makes a request.
“The heightened political climate and increased public attention on statewide officials make it imperative that we ensure their safety and allow them to carry out their constitutional duties without distraction or risk,” Bannister wrote in a letter obtained by The State. “Providing this protection upon request will help safeguard both the individuals and the institutions they represent.”
Bannister also told Keel if the agency determines it needs additional resources to provide the protective details to request the required money in the agency’s budget submission.
“I feel confident both bodies of the General Assembly will give full consideration to ensuring you have the resources needed to carry out this important mission,” Bannister wrote.
In SLED’s annual budget request, the agency asked lawmakers to approve money for two additional counter-terrorism agents who would “ensure continuous, high-level executive protection coverage, support operational readiness and maintain safety during travel and public engagements.”
Each agent would require more than $77,000 in state money, the SLED budget request says.
However, when Wilson holds campaign events, his campaign will have to reimburse SLED for the overtime worked by those on the detail as well as their travel expenses. The policy also applies to the other elected officials who have details. Campaigns also have to reimburse SLED when the protectee holds a fundraiser.
Who else has a detail?
Gov. Henry McMaster, First Lady Peggy McMaster and Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette have security details as required by law. Whoever is elected governor and lieutenant governor in November will then receive a detail.
SLED details also are provided to U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott when they are in the state. The agency would not comment on why both receive security details, but they are both high-profile Black lawmakers. Clyburn was previously in House leadership when he was the Democratic whip and was afforded a security detail from U.S. Capitol Police.
In 2022, Clyburn told The State he takes precautions but doesn’t let threats keep him from doing his job. He also said his staff relays threats he receives to law enforcement.
“I can tell when threats have come in because I can see how my detail acts and reacts,” Clyburn said in 2022. “If I see (an increase) of people around me, then I know something’s happening, and I’ve seen that several times.”
Scott is the only Black Republican in the U.S. Senate and serves as the National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman.
SLED is in the process of working on an agreement to have U.S. Capitol Police reimburse the agency for providing protection for Clyburn and Scott.
U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, a Republican candidate for governor, has been very public about the threats she has received, and has hired private security. House members receive $10,000 a month to spend on security. Mace said she’s been promised by U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson that she could spend up to $25,000 if necessary.
“We take all of our threats seriously,” Mace said.
Mace had a very public incident at the Charleston International Airport when she was dropped off alone for a flight but airport police did not immediately meet her to escort her through security to her gate. The airport took blame for a miscommunication in what vehicle she would arrive in, but blamed her for making the incident into a spectacle.
“As members of Congress, we don’t get a detail. It doesn’t come with the job. And if you happen to be vocal and outspoken, the threats only increase,” Mace said.
Mace told reporters she generally has at least two people with her, and will have six to eight people providing security at public events.
“I don’t want to be excessive about it, so I’m trying to be very thoughtful about and mindful about it,” Mace said.
However, Mace is vocal about the security she receives. She often shares the story about a person who was charged with assault in an incident where they shook hands. That charge was later dropped. Mace also was threatened by a Greenville County man who identifies as a woman. A man from Pennsylvania also has been charged with threatening to kill Mace and President Donald Trump.
“I want people to know that it is difficult that the political environment that we’re in right now, that this has to stop, and I think the only way we that we can get there is actually by talking about it, not hiding behind it,” Mace said.
Even though receiving threats or being heckled in public comes with being a public figure, not all South Carolina’s elected officials have security details while in the state.
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, who is a high-profile senator often appearing on television does receive security escorts at airports.
“Every now and then, somebody will come up to the airport with a gripe. It’s okay to talk, but they’ll, you know, make a scene,” Graham said, who does not have a security detail every day. “So you try to keep low-key, don’t stand in lines, get through without drama.”
Graham told reporters in November he does receive his fair share of threats.
“The point is, in today’s world, it’s part of the job, Nancy is right. There’s some pretty angry people out there. What I try to do is do my job (as) low-key as possible, get through the system,” Graham said.
U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman said he doesn’t have anyone escort him through an airport when he flies.
“We all get death threats, Nancy I think gets more probably than others. I’ve had death threats at times. I’ve taken extra precautions, but now as a rule, I go through the line checkpoints,” Norman said. “If I get death threats to a higher level than what’s normally that we get in public office, then we’ll take it under consideration.”
This story was originally published January 2, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
