Crossroads 2026: Alan Wilson Taps S.C. Senator as Running Mate

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by WILL FOLKS

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The current frontrunner for the South Carolina governor’s office became the first candidate to declare his running mate this week.

Early Friday morning (January 9, 2026), S.C. attorney general Alan Wilson tapped state senator Mike Reichenbach of Florence to be his lieutenant governor in the event Wilson captures the Republican nomination this spring.

Reichenbach, 54, originally of Lima, Ohio, is a car dealer who won a 2022 special election to fill the Florence County seat vacated by the death of the late Hugh Leatherman, one of the most powerful lawmakers in state history. He has emerged as one of the more conservative members of the uniparty-controlled S.C. Senate – a chamber which, like the S.C. House, tends to veer decidedly to the left of the more conservative Republican primary electorate.

Reichenbach ran unopposed in the 2024 Republican primary, and then decisively defeated his Democrat rival – Florence County chief magistrate Belinda B. Timmons – with a whopping 65.96% of the vote in that year’s general election.

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“Mike Reichenbach has a proven record of getting results,” Wilson said in a statement announcing his choice. “Together, we will work hard each day to protect our families and values. With a new age of conservative leadership, we will make South Carolina more affordable for families and profitable for our businesses.”

“This election is about the future of South Carolina,” Reichenbach said in accepting Wilson’s invitation. “It’s about taking our state to the next level and remaining a state that honors God, strengthens families, and protects your freedoms. I am proud to stand with Alan Wilson as we fight for that future. Let’s get to work.”

Wilson’s lieutenant gubernatorial selection has an impressive record – and an impressive back story. Born to a 14-year-old mother who courageously choose to bring him into the world, he was raised to be the man he has become by his adopted parents.

With abortion remaining a hot-button issue in the upcoming year, expect Reichenbach’s story to go over incredibly well with those base GOP voters.

News of Wilson’s selection was first reported by Nick Reynolds of The (Charleston, S.C.) Post and Courier.

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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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