SC election agency chooses new permanent leader. Here’s who they appointed

After months of turnover, the state Election Commission chose Conway Belangia, a longtime Greenville election official, to lead the agency Wednesday afternoon.

His appointment as executive director of the agency responsible for running South Carolina’s elections will still need approval from the state Senate. Belangia became interim executive director effective Wednesday.

Belangia, 72, has been Greenville County’s election commission director for 34 years, he said. He previously worked in Orangeburg and in the state election office.

The commission voted unanimously, with one member absent, to appoint Belangia. Belangia and his wife were present for the vote Wednesday.

“Elections are in my blood,” Belangia said after his appointment. “I love elections. I love Greenville County, and I love the state of South Carolina.”

If Belangia’s appointment is approved by the Senate, he will inherit an agency that went through several tumultuous months at the end of last year, including the firing and arrest of the former executive director and a multimillion loan for ballot counters paid late.

Belangia said he hopes to build trust in elections and the state agency at the local level.

“By and large in South Carolina, elections are viewed as being good, fair, proper, and we intend to keep it that way,” he said. “We don’t want many protests. We want things to be smooth.”

Belangia will also lead the agency handling a controversial request from the Trump administration for South Carolina voters’ private data, including partial Social Security and driver’s license numbers.

Belangia told reporters Wednesday he would follow advice and directions from lawyers with the agency and any court orders.

“If the legal eagles say, this is the way it’s going to be, then guess what? This is the way it’s going to be,” Belangia said. “What direction they take, they will tell me which way to go.”

The agency has been without a permanent leader since September 2025, when the commission fired former executive director Howard Knapp. Knapp was arrested in October. Warrants from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division show he was charged with misconduct while in office, embezzlement and ethics violations.

Jenny Wooten had served as interim director since September. She was initially appointed to succeed Knapp in December, but she withdrew from consideration for the top job earlier this month.

Wooten didn’t give a reason for her withdrawal. Senate Majority leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield, told reporters last week Wooten was “very bright and very talented.” But she didn’t have the statutory qualifications to serve as executive director, Massey said. South Carolina Election Commission executive directors must have three years of county election administration experience under state law.

This story was originally published March 25, 2026 at 3:55 PM.