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South Carolina state senator Josh Kimbrell told a group of Republican activists in Richland County he plans on formally exploring a bid for governor of the Palmetto State in 2026.
Kimbrell made the announcement at a gathering of the Richland County GOP on Monday evening (March 24, 2025), according to his political strategist, trial lawyer advocate Chris Slick.
According to Slick, Kimbrell is “a common-sense conservative,” and “for the next fifteen months he’ll bring that vision around the state and you can see for yourself.”
Kimbrell becomes the first prospective candidate to announce the formation of an exploratory gubernatorial committee – which will enable him to raise and spend money as he assesses his prospects. According to the 40-year-old Spartanburg, S.C. native, he plans on taking “some steps once (the legislative) session adjourns” in May of this year.
Does Kimbrell stand a chance?
Probably not…
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For starters, he would enter the race as a clear second-tier contender – well behind a field of frontrunners which includes congresswoman Nancy Mace, attorney general Alan Wilson, lieutenant governor Pamela Evette (if you believe this poll, anyway) and congressman Ralph Norman. Former GOP gubernatorial candidate John Warren has also been mentioned as a potential 2026 contender – and would likely slot into a prospective field well ahead of Kimbrell.
Obviously, Nikki Haley proved in 2010 it’s possible for second-tier candidates from the legislature to catch a wave and ride late-breaking momentum to victory… but the future neoconservative warmonger was campaigning credibly as a conservative “Tea Party” candidate at the time. And her gubernatorial bid had some, um, “help.”
Can Kimbrell credibly say he’s to the ideological right of the rest of the field?
Again… probably not.
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RELATED | WHICH GOP SENATORS ARE SHILLING FOR S.C. TRIAL LAWYERS?
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As FITSNews reported last week, Kimbrell is one of several “Republican” senators currently carrying water for the Palmetto State’s über-liberal trial lawyer lobby – which is desperate to kill comprehensive lawsuit reform at the S.C. State House this year. What is a so-called “conservative” doing shilling for a group which has repeatedly lied, threatened and bribed as part of its ongoing effort to maintain an unfair, anti-competitive tort climate in the Palmetto State?
Why is Kimbrell standing with this decidedly left-of-center special interest – and against individual taxpayers and small businesses?
Why is he trying to preserve a definitionally unjust, economically debilitating status quo instead of supporting long-overdue reform?
These are questions GOP primary voters are going to want Kimbrell to answer… and it certainly doesn’t help him that his top strategist has been one of the most aggressive (and dishonest) shills for the plaintiffs’ bar during the recent tort reform debate. Also, Kimbrell’s strategist helped lead the failed effort to take out conservative House members during last year’s election cycle – which should cause anyone to question his pronouncement that Kimbrell is a “common sense conservative.”
Perhaps Kimbrell has done the math and believes selling out to the left’s most influential special interest – and hiring its attack dog to run his governor’s race – will net him enough money to spread a “conservative” message.
And maybe it will…
Just know this media outlet will be there every step of the way to remind people who is pulling the strings.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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1 comment
Being involved with swamp rat Slick is a telling sign of being a neocon and part of the problem in Columbia.