The Ballot Brief

Columbia, South Carolina sample ballot 2026

Columbia voters (Richland County, South Carolina) see U.S. Senate, Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State plus 9 Richland County races on the November 3, 2026 ballot. Your U.S. House district and any precinct-level races depend on your street address.

We use AI to research and write election information. Errors are possible. Verify important details with official sources.

On every Columbia ballot

Probate JudgeAmy McCulloch (D)

Amy McCulloch

DemocraticIncumbent

Top priorities

From the campaign site

  • Providing compassionate, fair service to families handling probate and mental health matters
  • Maintaining timely, professional service amid shrinking government budgets
  • Public education on probate planning and mental health awareness through community talks
About Amy McCulloch

Amy McCulloch has served as Richland County Probate Judge since 1999, per the county's Probate Judge page. Her office handles wills, estate matters, mental health commitments and elder care management, per her campaign site. She says her court emphasizes compassionate, timely service despite tight government budgets, per her campaign site. Amy McCulloch appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Richland County Probate Judge, per the county elections office's certified candidate list.

AuditorAllen Brown (D)

Allen Brown

Democratic

Allen Brown appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Richland County Auditor, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026; the official roster and election filing is the only verifiable source for Allen Brown.

TreasurerKendra L Dove (D)

Kendra L Dove

DemocraticIncumbent

Top priorities

From other published sources

  • Expanding taxpayer services, including self-service payment options, per Carolina Panorama
  • Modernizing office operations and improving efficiency in tax payment processing, per Carolina Panorama
About Kendra L Dove

Kendra L. Dove has served as Richland County Treasurer since 2022, becoming the first African American and second woman to hold the office, per the county's Treasurer page. She spent 17 years as deputy treasurer before her election and has introduced self-service tax payment kiosks for residents, per Carolina Panorama. Dove is seeking re-election in 2026. Kendra L Dove appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Richland County Treasurer, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026.

By address

These seats are elected by district; only the district covering your address is on your ballot.

Find your districts by address
Soil and Water District CommissionNonpartisan race · Shawn Goff · Tim McSwain

Shawn Goff

Nonpartisan

Shawn Goff appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Richland County Soil and Water District Commission, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026; the official roster and election filing is the only verifiable source for Shawn Goff.

Tim McSwain

Nonpartisan

Tim McSwain appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Richland County Soil and Water District Commission, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026; the official roster and election filing is the only verifiable source for Tim McSwain.

School District At Large, District 1Nonpartisan race · Tyrell A Bates · Brian W Myers · Barbara F Weston

Tyrell A Bates

Nonpartisan

Tyrell A Bates appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Richland County School District At Large, District 1, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026; the official roster and election filing is the only verifiable source for Tyrell A Bates.

Brian W Myers

Nonpartisan

Brian W Myers appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Richland County School District At Large, District 1, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026; the official roster and election filing is the only verifiable source for Brian W Myers.

Barbara F Weston

Nonpartisan

Barbara F Weston appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Richland County School District At Large, District 1, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026; the official roster and election filing is the only verifiable source for Barbara F Weston.

School District At Large, District 2Nonpartisan race · Anthony AJ Bracy · Nathaniel Canfall JR · Robin Clark · Titania Frazier · James Mobley · Shannon Morgan · Heather Norris-Jones · Niki Porter

Anthony AJ Bracy

Nonpartisan

Anthony AJ Bracy appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Richland County School District At Large, District 2, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026; the official roster and election filing is the only verifiable source for Anthony AJ Bracy.

Nathaniel Canfall JR

Nonpartisan

Nathaniel Canfall JR appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Richland County School District At Large, District 2, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026; the official roster and election filing is the only verifiable source for Nathaniel Canfall JR.

Robin Clark

Nonpartisan

Robin Clark appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Richland County School District At Large, District 2, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026; the official roster and election filing is the only verifiable source for Robin Clark.

Titania Frazier

Nonpartisan

Titania Frazier appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Richland County School District At Large, District 2, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026; the official roster and election filing is the only verifiable source for Titania Frazier.

James Mobley

Nonpartisan

James Mobley appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Richland County School District At Large, District 2, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026; the official roster and election filing is the only verifiable source for James Mobley.

Shannon Morgan

Nonpartisan

Shannon Morgan appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Richland County School District At Large, District 2, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026; the official roster and election filing is the only verifiable source for Shannon Morgan.

Heather Norris-Jones

Nonpartisan

Heather Norris-Jones appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Richland County School District At Large, District 2, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026; the official roster and election filing is the only verifiable source for Heather Norris-Jones.

Niki Porter

NonpartisanIncumbent

Niki Porter is a sitting member of the Richland School District Two Board of Trustees and currently serves as board chair, per the district's official board roster. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.

School District At Large, District 5Nonpartisan race · Beth LoPresti · Michael Reeves · Terence Rickenbacker

Beth LoPresti

Nonpartisan

Beth LoPresti appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Richland County School District At Large, District 5, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026; the official roster and election filing is the only verifiable source for Beth LoPresti.

Michael Reeves

Nonpartisan

Top priorities

From the campaign site

  • Support and equity for every student
  • Investment in teacher retention and professional development
  • Partnership with families and open communication
About Michael Reeves

Michael Reeves is a candidate for the Richland County School District At Large, District 5 board seat. His campaign describes listening, leading with integrity and making thoughtful decisions that put students at the center while supporting educators, per his campaign site.

Terence Rickenbacker

Nonpartisan

Terence Rickenbacker appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Richland County School District At Large, District 5, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026; the official roster and election filing is the only verifiable source for Terence Rickenbacker.

School Board, District 11Nonpartisan race · Artina McKnight Coard · Carlos Primus

Artina McKnight Coard

Nonpartisan

Artina McKnight Coard appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Richland County School Board, District 11, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026; the official roster and election filing is the only verifiable source for Artina McKnight Coard.

Carlos Primus

Nonpartisan

Carlos Primus appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Richland County School Board, District 11, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026; the official roster and election filing is the only verifiable source for Carlos Primus.

School Board, District 13Nonpartisan race · John Black · Robert Lominack

John Black

Nonpartisan

John Black appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Richland County School Board, District 13, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026; the official roster and election filing is the only verifiable source for John Black.

Robert Lominack

NonpartisanIncumbent

Top priorities

From the campaign site

  • Center school board decisions on students
  • Support and invest in resources for teachers
  • Transparent and accountable board governance
About Robert Lominack

Robert Lominack is a candidate for Richland County School Board, District 13. He is a former attorney who practiced law for more than a decade and later taught for seven years at Dreher High School and Hand Middle School, per his campaign site. Lominack has served as executive director of RCPEP, an education nonprofit, and currently works as a public defender in juvenile court, per the same source.

Full candidate profiles, priorities and campaign sites are on the Richland County page.

Statewide races

U.S. SenateDarline Graham (R) · Annie Andrews (D) · Kasie Whitener (Libertarian) · Mark Hackett (Constitution)
Darline Graham

Darline Graham

RepublicanIncumbent

Top priorities

From the campaign site

  • Lower taxes, less waste and more jobs
  • Secure the border and stop the fentanyl
  • Protect life
About Darline Graham

Darline Graham is South Carolina's sitting U.S. senator, appointed by Gov. Henry McMaster on July 13, 2026 and sworn in July 14, per the governor's office. She spent nearly 30 years in state government, including as agency head of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, where she led 130 employees in 10 offices and a $90 million budget, and in roles at the state vocational rehabilitation agency and the Department of Employment and Workforce, per the campaign site. She is the Republican nominee for the full term on the November 3, 2026 ballot after winning the party's August 25 special nomination runoff, per the South Carolina Election Commission's candidate listing.

Annie Andrews

Democrat

Top priorities

From the campaign site

  • Healthcare is a right, not a privilege
  • An economy that works for working people
  • Strong schools and affordable child care
About Annie Andrews

Annie Andrews is a pediatrician who has spent nearly 20 years caring for South Carolina children, from newborns to adolescents, per the campaign site. She is a mother who says she decided to run after seeing families struggling in ways she believes should not be accepted as normal, per the campaign site.

Kasie Whitener

Kasie Whitener

Libertarian

Top priorities

From the campaign site

  • A balanced budget amendment and reducing the national debt
  • Real oversight of government and ending protectionist policies
  • Independent, accessible representation over party operatives
About Kasie Whitener

Kasie Whitener is a University of South Carolina clinical assistant professor of entrepreneurship, director of the Faber Entrepreneurship Center, a business owner and a radio host from Blythewood, per her campaign site. She is the Libertarian nominee for U.S. Senate on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the South Carolina Election Commission's candidate listing.

Mark Hackett

Constitution

Mark Hackett is the Constitution Party nominee for U.S. Senate on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the South Carolina Election Commission's candidate listing. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026.

GovernorAlan Wilson (R) · Jermaine Johnson (D) · Walid Hakim (Green) · Michael Addison (United Citizens)
Alan Wilson

Alan Wilson

Republican

Top priorities

From the campaign site

  • Strengthen law enforcement and public safety
  • Advance conservative legal and executive leadership
  • Support veterans, families, and economic growth
About Alan Wilson

Alan Wilson is the Republican nominee for South Carolina governor on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the South Carolina Election Commission's candidate listing, and the state's attorney general. His campaign emphasizes law enforcement, public safety, conservative legal leadership, veterans, and a Wilson-Reichenbach ticket for governor and lieutenant governor. Mike Reichenbach is the running mate for lieutenant governor, per the South Carolina Election Commission's general-election candidate listing.

Jermaine Johnson

Jermaine Johnson

Democrat

Top priorities

From the campaign site

  • Slash the income tax
  • Lower property taxes
  • Build affordable housing
About Jermaine Johnson

Jermaine Johnson is the Democratic nominee for South Carolina governor on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the South Carolina Election Commission's candidate listing. He has served in the South Carolina House of Representatives since 2020, per the campaign site and the House roster. Sam Skardon is the running mate for lieutenant governor, per the South Carolina Election Commission's general-election candidate listing.

Walid Hakim

Green

Top priorities

From the campaign site

  • Education reform
  • A fair tax system
  • Law and order reform
About Walid Hakim

Hakim was born in Kuwait and moved to South Carolina in 1985, per the campaign site. Per the campaign site, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a military policeman and has worked as a car salesman, restaurant owner, police officer, political consultant and actor.

Michael Addison

Michael Addison

United Citizens

Michael Addison is a Medical Director who has provided care to more than 15,000 patients in South Carolina, per his campaign site. He is also a Licensed Asbestos Inspector and EPA- and OSHA-certified property damage analyst who has served as an expert witness in court, per the campaign site. He has worked as a community organizer with R.A.C.E., providing foreclosure prevention and job training assistance, and is running for Governor of South Carolina, per the campaign site.

Attorney GeneralDavid Stumbo (R) · Richard Hricik (D)
David Stumbo

David Stumbo

Republican

Top priorities

From the campaign site

  • Protect the sanctity of life, religious liberty and parental rights
  • Put violent criminals behind bars and support law enforcement
  • Defend the Constitution and keep government power in check
About David Stumbo

David Stumbo is the Republican nominee for South Carolina attorney general. He has been Solicitor for the Eighth Judicial Circuit (Abbeville, Greenwood, Laurens and Newberry counties) since his election in November 2012 and is in his fourth term, was president of the South Carolina Solicitors' Association from 2017 to 2020, and earlier prosecuted in the 11th Judicial Circuit and in the state Attorney General's Office, where he led the Internet Crimes Against Children task force, per the campaign site. The office is open with incumbent Alan Wilson running for governor.

Richard Hricik

Democrat

Top priorities

From other published sources

  • Defend the rule of law as the state's chief legal officer, per his Live 5 News interview
  • Give the attorney general's civil and consumer-protection duties more attention alongside criminal cases, per his Live 5 News interview
  • Run without donations, PACs or self-funding, per Live 5 News
About Richard Hricik

Richard Hricik is a Lowcountry attorney with more than 30 years of practice and the Democratic nominee for South Carolina attorney general on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per Live 5 News and the SC Election Commission's candidate listing. He is running without accepting campaign contributions or self-funding, per Live 5 News.

Secretary of StateMark Hammond (R) · Jason Belton (D)
Mark Hammond

Mark Hammond

RepublicanIncumbent

Campaign site credits the Secretary of State's office with the Business One Stop and the High Growth Small Business Job Creation Act, and says South Carolina ranks in the top 5 nationwide for charitable giving under its oversight, per the campaign site. Mark Hammond is South Carolina's incumbent secretary of state and the Republican nominee for another term, serving since 2003. He campaigns on business services efficiency and charity-fraud enforcement.

Jason Belton

Democrat

Top priorities

From other published sources

  • Oversight of voter-roll maintenance after the state moved to remove roughly 200,000 inactive registrations, per WSOC's candidate guide
  • Protecting naturalized citizens' access to voting, per WSOC's candidate guide
About Jason Belton

Jason Belton is a former state director of the South Carolina AFL-CIO, a small business owner and a father of six who became a U.S. citizen in 2018, per WSOC's Political Beat candidate guide; he is the Democratic nominee for secretary of state on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the SC Election Commission's candidate listing. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026.

Superintendent of EducationEllen Weaver (R) · Sylvia Wright (D) · Baba Amin Ojuok (United Citizens)
Ellen Weaver

Ellen Weaver

RepublicanIncumbent

Top priorities

From other published sources

  • Literacy and academic achievement
  • School choice
  • Workforce-ready education
About Ellen Weaver

Weaver serves as South Carolina's State Superintendent of Education and previously worked with U.S. Senator Jim DeMint; the campaign site says she grew up in South Carolina with experience ranging from public education to construction work, per the campaign site.

Sylvia Wright

Democrat

Top priorities

From other published sources

  • Preschool for every 4-year-old regardless of family income, per the SC Daily Gazette
About Sylvia Wright

Sylvia Wright has worked in South Carolina public education for more than twenty years, most recently as District Coordinator for Secondary Education at Dorchester School District Four, according to her campaign site. She holds a Doctor of Education degree from the University of South Carolina and a Master of Education from The Citadel, per the site.

Baba Amin Ojuok

United Citizens

Baba Amin Ojuok is on the SC Election Commission's candidate listing as the United Citizens Party candidate for Superintendent of Education on the November 3, 2026 ballot. No campaign website was found as of October 1, 2026.

TreasurerCurtis Loftis (R) · Vincent Coe (D)
Curtis Loftis

Curtis Loftis

RepublicanIncumbent

Top priorities

From other published sources

  • Safeguard state funds
  • Investment transparency
  • Taxpayer protection
About Curtis Loftis

Loftis is South Carolina's State Treasurer, first elected in 2010, overseeing the state's public funds, investments, and asset custody, per the campaign site. He is a small business owner and founder of the Saluda Charitable Foundation, and a graduate of the University of South Carolina, per the campaign site.

Vincent Coe

Democrat

Top priorities

From other published sources

  • Shore up the state pension plan's unfunded liability, per WSOC's candidate guide
  • Return the more than $850 million in unclaimed property held by the state to its owners, per WSOC's candidate guide
  • Transparency after the treasurer's office accounting error, per WIS
About Vincent Coe

No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.

ComptrollerMike Burkhold (R) · Tiffany Boozer (D)

Mike Burkhold

Republican

Top priorities

From the campaign site

  • Counting the state's money and showing voters where it goes, with weekly releases of state spending drawn from public records
About Mike Burkhold

Mike Burkhold is a Charleston businessman and founder of Equiscript, a healthcare technology company serving hospitals and health centers, per his Greenville News op-ed. The State reports he started Equiscript in 2009 and was the only Republican to file for comptroller general.

Tiffany Boozer

Tiffany Boozer

Democrat

Top priorities

From other published sources

  • Focuses her campaign on ensuring the state's accounting records are accurate and compliant with government accounting standards
About Tiffany Boozer

Tiffany Boozer is a Certified Public Accountant with experience in financial reporting, analysis and compliance, per her campaign site. She is running for South Carolina Comptroller General, per the campaign site.

Agriculture CommissionerCody Simpson (R) · DeShawn Blanding (D) · Michael Sullens (L) · Chris Nelums (United Citizens)

Cody Simpson

Republican

Top priorities

From other published sources

  • Supporting South Carolina farm families and family farming operations
About Cody Simpson

Cody Simpson is a fifth generation South Carolina farmer, according to his campaign site.

DeShawn Blanding

Democrat

Top priorities

From other published sources

  • Increasing access to food and lowering food costs
  • Simplifying government processes for farmers with local solutions
  • Securing farmland and the food supply chain
About DeShawn Blanding

DeShawn Blanding grew up in the Silver Community of Clarendon County and is the grandson of a fourth generation South Carolina farmer, according to his campaign site. His career has focused on helping legislators, government officials and the public understand agriculture and food access, per the site.

Michael Sullens

L

Michael Sullens is on the SC Election Commission's candidate listing as the Libertarian candidate for Commissioner of Agriculture on the November 3, 2026 ballot. No campaign website was found as of October 1, 2026.

Chris Nelums

United Citizens

Chris Nelums is an entrepreneur since 1985 and the chief pastor and overseer of Speak to My Heart Ministries in Winnsboro, per the ministry's leadership page, which also lists him as a 2018 statewide candidate for Commissioner of Agriculture and a Keenan High School and Benedict College graduate. No campaign website was found as of October 1, 2026.

Your address is only used to match your districts.

Voting info and more

Voting info and more

City boundaries and ZIP codes from the U.S. Census Bureau (2024 Gazetteer, 2020 ZCTA relationships). Candidate fields follow official election office filings; confirm with the South Carolina election office before voting.