COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCBD) – Jermaine Johnson, a Democratic state lawmaker who’s been openly exploring a bid for higher office for months, is officially entering the 2026 race for governor of South Carolina.

Johnson formed an exploratory committee in May, arguing then that the state was at a crossroads and in need of leadership that “listens, leads with integrity, and puts people before politics.”

The state lawmaker is expected to make his campaign official during a Tuesday evening event on the steps of the Statehouse.

In a launch video posted to social media Tuesday morning, Johnson described himself as a "different kind of Democrat," referencing his defeat of a longtime incumbent in the 2020 Democratic Primary for House District 80.

"Five years ago, when I looked and saw the same politici

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