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by WILL FOLKS
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A contentious race for South Carolina’s vacant seat on the Republican National Committee (RNC) came down to the wire this weekend, with Richland County GOP chairman Tyson Grinstead narrowly besting former SCGOP chairman Chad Connelly to claim the coveted national post.
In an election held ahead of the SCGOP’s annual Silver Elephant gala in Columbia, S.C. on Saturday (August 9, 2025), Grinstead received 25 votes from the currently comprised SCGOP executive committee – compared to 21 for Connelly and two for Joey Lemmons, a member of the state executive committee from Cherokee County. That was just enough to give Grinstead the victory – and deal a surprising defeat to SCGOP chairman Drew McKissick, who aggressively backed Connelly for this position.
The RNC must accept the results of the election, but sources familiar with the process expect that to be a formality.
Connelly initially appeared to be the frontrunner for this seat – which came open last month following the death of Glenn McCall, a retired banker from Rock Hill, S.C. who held the position for seventeen years. Grinstead surged, though, after receiving the blessing of the White House late last month.
Recent vote counts showed the race narrowing, however… but not enough for Connelly to retake the lead.
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Connelly argued his seniority within the party would help South Carolina keep its ‘First in the South’ status within the GOP presidential primary election. Grinstead pushed back that he was the choice of the MAGA wing of the party, and that the blessing of the White House was more important to ensuring the Palmetto State’s pivotal position on the presidential calendar than Connelly’s seniority.
The RNC is the governing body of the Republican Party – responsible for drafting the GOP platform and managing branding/fundraising for “Republican” candidates. It is comprised of 168 members, including a state party chairman, national executive committeeman and national executive committeewoman from all fifty states and U.S. territories.
Grinstead, 39, is originally from Snow Camp, North Carolina. He currently resides in Columbia, S.C. with his wife, Katie, and their dog, Grover.
With his victory over Connelly, he joins McKissick and South Carolina national executive committeewoman Cindy Costa as the Palmetto State’s representatives on the RNC.
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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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