List of governors of South Carolina - wikipedia List of governors of South Carolina Governor of South Carolina Seal of the Governor Incumbent Henry McMaster since January 24, 2017 Style His Excellency Term length Four years, renewable once Part of a series on the History of South Carolina Timeline Colonial period 1651 -- 1774 American Revolution 1775 -- 1788 Antebellum period 1812 -- 1860 Civil War era 1861 -- 1865 Reconstruction 1865 -- 1877 State of South Carolina South Carolina portal See also : Governor of South Carolina This is a list of South Carolina governors. The current governor of South Carolina is Henry McMaster ; he has been in office since 24 January 2017. Contents 1 Colonial period ( 1670 -- 1775 ) 2 Statehood period ( 1776 -- present ) 2.1 Presidents under the Articles of Confederation 2.2 Governors under the Articles of Confederation 2.3 Governors under the Constitution of 1790 2.4 Governors under the Constitution of 1865 2.5 Governors under the Constitution of 1868 2.6 Governors under the Constitution of 1895 3 Other high offices held 4 Living former U.S. governors of South Carolina 5 See also 6 References 7 External links Colonial period ( 1670 -- 1775 ) Further information : List of colonial governors of South Carolina Statehood period ( 1776 -- present ) Presidents under the articles of confederation The General Assembly chose the President for a term of two years. Parties No party # Governor Took Office Left Office Lt. Governor Party Notes 31 John Rutledge March 26, 1776 March 5, 1778 Henry Laurens No party 1st time, Resigned 32 Rawlins Lowndes March 6, 1778 January 9, 1779 James Parsons No party British prisoner during Revolutionary War Governors under the articles of confederation The General Assembly chose the Governor for a term of two years. Parties No party # Governor Took office Left office Lt. Governor Party Notes John Rutledge January 9, 1779 January 31, 1782 Thomas Bee Christopher Gadsden No party 2nd time 33 John Mathews January 31, 1782 February 4, 1783 Richard Hutson No party 34 Benjamin Guerard February 4, 1783 February 11, 1785 Richard Beresford William Moultrie William Moultrie No party 35 William Moultrie February 11, 1785 February 20, 1787 Charles Drayton No party 1st time 36 Thomas Pinckney February 20, 1787 January 26, 1789 Thomas Gadsden Federalist 37 Charles Pinckney January 26, 1789 December 5, 1792 Alexander Gillon Federalist 1st time Governors under the Constitution of 1790 The General Assembly chose the Governor for a term of two years. Parties Democratic Federalist Democratic - Republican # Governor Took office Left office Lt. Governor Party Notes William Moultrie December 5, 1792 December 17, 1794 James Ladson Federalist 2nd time 38 Arnoldus Vanderhorst December 17, 1794 December 8, 1796 Lewis Morris Federalist Charles Pinckney December 8, 1796 December 18, 1798 Robert Anderson Democratic - Republican 2nd time 39 Edward Rutledge December 18, 1798 January 23, 1800 John Drayton Federalist Died in office 40 John Drayton January 23, 1800 December 8, 1802 Richard Winn Democratic - Republican 1st time 41 James Burchill Richardson December 8, 1802 December 7, 1804 Ezekiel Pickens Democratic - Republican 42 Paul Hamilton December 7, 1804 December 9, 1806 Thomas Sumter, Jr. Democratic - Republican Charles Pinckney December 9, 1806 December 10, 1808 John Hopkins Democratic - Republican 3rd time John Drayton December 10, 1808 December 8, 1810 Frederick Nance Democratic - Republican 2nd time 43 Henry Middleton December 8, 1810 December 10, 1812 Samuel Farrow Democratic - Republican 44 Joseph Alston December 10, 1812 December 10, 1814 Eldred Simkins Democratic - Republican 45 David Rogerson Williams December 10, 1814 December 5, 1816 Robert Creswell Democratic - Republican 46 Andrew Pickens December 5, 1816 December 8, 1818 John A. Cuthbert Democratic - Republican 47 John Geddes December 8, 1818 December 7, 1820 William Youngblood Democratic - Republican 48 Thomas Bennett, Jr. December 7, 1820 December 7, 1822 William Pinckney Democratic - Republican 49 John Lyde Wilson December 7, 1822 December 3, 1824 Henry Bradley Democratic - Republican 50 Richard Irvine Manning I December 3, 1824 December 9, 1826 William Bull Democratic - Republican 51 John Taylor December 9, 1826 December 10, 1828 James Witherspoon Democratic - Republican 52 Stephen Decatur Miller December 10, 1828 December 9, 1830 Thomas Williams Democratic ( Nullifier ) 53 James Hamilton, Jr. December 9, 1830 December 10, 1832 Patrick Noble Democratic ( Nullifier ) 54 Robert Young Hayne December 10, 1832 December 9, 1834 Charles Cotesworth Pinckney Democratic ( Nullifier ) 55 George McDuffie December 9, 1834 December 10, 1836 Whitemarsh B. Seabrook Democratic 56 Pierce Mason Butler December 10, 1836 December 7, 1838 William DuBose Democratic 57 Patrick Noble December 7, 1838 April 7, 1840 Barnabas Kelet Henagan Democratic Died in office 58 Barnabas Kelet Henagan April 7, 1840 December 9, 1840 vacant Democratic Not elected 59 John Peter Richardson II December 9, 1840 December 8, 1842 William K. Clowney Democratic 60 James Henry Hammond December 8, 1842 December 7, 1844 Isaac D. Witherspoon Democratic 61 William Aiken, Jr. December 7, 1844 December 8, 1846 J.F. Ervin Democratic 62 David Johnson December 8, 1846 December 12, 1848 William Cain Democratic 63 Whitemarsh B. Seabrook December 12, 1848 December 13, 1850 William Henry Gist Democratic 64 John Hugh Means December 13, 1850 December 9, 1852 Joshua John Ward Democratic 65 John Lawrence Manning December 9, 1852 December 11, 1854 James Irby Democratic 66 James Hopkins Adams December 11, 1854 December 9, 1856 Richard de Treville Democratic 67 Robert F.W. Allston December 9, 1856 December 10, 1858 Gabriel Cannon Democratic 68 William Henry Gist December 10, 1858 December 14, 1860 M.E. Carn Democratic 69 Francis Wilkinson Pickens December 14, 1860 December 17, 1862 W.W. Harllee Democratic 70 Milledge Luke Bonham December 17, 1862 December 18, 1864 Plowden Weston Democratic 71 Andrew Gordon Magrath December 18, 1864 May 25, 1865 Robert McCaw Democratic Deposed by the Union Army 72 Benjamin Franklin Perry June 30, 1865 November 29, 1865 vacant Unionist Democrat Appointed by President Andrew Johnson Governors under the Constitution of 1865 First Constitution of South Carolina to provide for the direct election of the Governor. Parties No party # Governor Took Office Left Office Lt. Governor Party Notes 73 James Lawrence Orr November 29, 1865 July 6, 1868 W.D. Porter No party ( Democratic ) 1st popularly elected Governor Governors under the Constitution of 1868 Parties Democratic Republican # Governor Took Office Left Office Lt. Governor Party Notes 74 Robert Kingston Scott July 6, 1868 December 7, 1872 Lemuel Boozer Alonzo J. Ransier Republican 75 Franklin J. Moses, Jr. December 7, 1872 December 1, 1874 Richard Howell Gleaves Republican 76 Daniel Henry Chamberlain December 1, 1874 December 14, 1876 Richard Howell Gleaves Republican Claimed Governorship after 1876 election 77 Wade Hampton III December 14, 1876 February 26, 1879 William Dunlap Simpson Democratic Resigned 78 William Dunlap Simpson February 26, 1879 September 1, 1880 John D. Kennedy Democratic Not elected 79 Thomas Bothwell Jeter September 1, 1880 November 30, 1880 vacant Democratic 80 Johnson Hagood November 30, 1880 December 1, 1882 John D. Kennedy Democratic 81 Hugh Smith Thompson December 1, 1882 July 10, 1886 John Calhoun Sheppard Democratic Resigned 82 John Calhoun Sheppard July 10, 1886 November 30, 1886 vacant Democratic Not elected 83 John Peter Richardson III November 30, 1886 December 4, 1890 William Mauldin Democratic 84 Benjamin Ryan Tillman December 4, 1890 December 4, 1894 Eugene Gary W.H. Timmerman Democratic 85 John Gary Evans December 4, 1894 January 18, 1897 W.H. Timmerman Democratic Governors under the Constitution of 1895 Parties Democratic ( 27 ) Republican ( 6 ) # Governor Took Office Left Office Lt. Governor Party Notes 86 William Haselden Ellerbe January 18, 1897 June 2, 1899 Miles Benjamin McSweeney Democratic Died in office 87 Miles Benjamin McSweeney June 2, 1899 January 20, 1903 Robert B. Scarborough Democratic 88 Duncan Clinch Heyward January 20, 1903 January 15, 1907 James Tillman John Sloan Democratic 89 Martin Frederick Ansel January 15, 1907 January 17, 1911 Thomas Gordon McLeod Democratic 90 Coleman Livingston Blease January 17, 1911 January 14, 1915 Charles Aurelius Smith Democratic Resigned 91 Charles Aurelius Smith January 14, 1915 January 19, 1915 vacant Democratic Not elected 92 Richard Irvine Manning III January 19, 1915 January 21, 1919 Andrew Bethea Democratic 93 Robert Archer Cooper January 21, 1919 May 20, 1922 J.T. Liles Wilson Godfrey Harvey Democratic Resigned 94 Wilson Godfrey Harvey May 20, 1922 January 16, 1923 vacant Democratic Not elected 95 Thomas Gordon McLeod January 16, 1923 January 18, 1927 E.B. Jackson Democratic 96 John Gardiner Richards, Jr. January 18, 1927 January 20, 1931 Thomas Bothwell Butler Democratic 1st to be elected to a four - year term 97 Ibra Charles Blackwood January 20, 1931 January 15, 1935 James Sheppard Democratic 98 Olin D. Johnston January 15, 1935 January 17, 1939 Joseph Emile Harley Democratic 1st time 99 Burnet R. Maybank January 17, 1939 November 4, 1941 Joseph Emile Harley Democratic Resigned 100 Joseph Emile Harley November 4, 1941 February 27, 1942 vacant Democratic Not elected, Died in office 101 Richard Manning Jefferies February 27, 1942 January 19, 1943 vacant Democratic Not elected 98 Olin D. Johnston January 19, 1943 January 2, 1945 Ransome Judson Williams Democratic 2nd time, Resigned 102 Ransome Judson Williams January 2, 1945 January 21, 1947 vacant Democratic Not elected 103 Strom Thurmond January 21, 1947 January 16, 1951 George Bell Timmerman, Jr. Democratic 104 James Francis Byrnes January 16, 1951 January 18, 1955 George Bell Timmerman, Jr. Democratic 105 George Bell Timmerman, Jr. January 18, 1955 January 20, 1959 Ernest Hollings Democratic 106 Ernest Hollings January 20, 1959 January 15, 1963 Burnet R. Maybank Jr. Democratic 107 Donald Stuart Russell January 15, 1963 April 22, 1965 Robert Evander McNair Democratic Resigned 108 Robert Evander McNair April 22, 1965 January 19, 1971 vacant John C. West Democratic 109 John C. West January 19, 1971 January 21, 1975 Earle Morris, Jr. Democratic 110 James B. Edwards January 21, 1975 January 10, 1979 W. Brantley Harvey, Jr. Republican 111 Richard Riley January 10, 1979 January 14, 1987 Nancy Stevenson Michael R. Daniel Democratic 1st elected to two consecutive four - year terms 112 Carroll A. Campbell, Jr. January 14, 1987 January 11, 1995 Nick Theodore ( Democratic ) Republican 113 David Beasley January 11, 1995 January 13, 1999 Bob Peeler Republican 114 Jim Hodges January 13, 1999 January 15, 2003 Bob Peeler Democratic 115 Mark Sanford January 15, 2003 January 12, 2011 André Bauer Republican 116 Nikki Haley January 12, 2011 January 24, 2017 Ken Ard Glenn F. McConnell J. Yancey McGill ( Democratic ) Henry McMaster Republican Resigned 117 Henry McMaster January 24, 2017 Incumbent Kevin L. Bryant Republican Other high offices held This is a table of congressional seats, other federal offices, other governorships, and other high offices held by governors. All representatives and senators mentioned represented South Carolina except where noted. * denotes those offices which the governor resigned to take. Governor Gubernatorial term U.S. Congress Other offices held House Senate John Rutledge 1776 -- 1778 1779 -- 1782 Delegate to Philadelphia Convention and signer of the United States Constitution ; Associate and Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court Thomas Pinckney 1787 -- 1789 United States Minister to Great Britain Charles Pinckney 1789 -- 1792 1796 -- 1798 1806 -- 1808 Delegate to Philadelphia Convention and signer of the United States Constitution ; United States Minister to Spain Paul Hamilton 1804 -- 1806 United States Secretary of the Navy Henry Middleton 1810 -- 1812 United States Minister to Russia David Rogerson Williams 1814 -- 1816 Richard Irvine Manning I 1824 -- 1826 John Taylor 1826 -- 1828 Stephen Decatur Miller 1828 -- 1830 James Hamilton, Jr. 1830 -- 1832 Robert Y. Hayne 1832 -- 1834 George McDuffie 1834 -- 1836 John Peter Richardson II 1840 -- 1842 James Henry Hammond 1842 -- 1844 William Aiken, Jr. 1844 -- 1846 Francis Wilkinson Pickens 1860 -- 1862 United States Minister to Russia Milledge Luke Bonham 1862 -- 1864 Confederate Representative James Lawrence Orr 1865 -- 1868 Confederate Senator ; United States Minister to Russia ; Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Wade Hampton III 1877 -- 1879 S * United States Railroad Commissioner William Dunlap Simpson 1879 -- 1880 Confederate Representative Hugh Smith Thompson 1882 -- 1886 United States Assistant Secretary of the Treasury * ; United States Civil Service Commissioner Benjamin Tillman 1890 -- 1894 Coleman Livingston Blease 1911 -- 1915 Olin D. Johnston 1935 -- 1939 1943 -- 1945 S * Burnet R. Maybank 1939 -- 1941 S * Strom Thurmond 1947 -- 1951 James F. Byrnes 1951 -- 1955 Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court ; United States Secretary of State Ernest Hollings 1959 -- 1963 Donald S. Russell 1963 -- 1965 S * John C. West 1971 -- 1975 United States Ambassador to Saudi Arabia James B. Edwards 1975 -- 1979 United States Secretary of Energy Richard Riley 1979 -- 1987 United States Secretary of Education Carroll A. Campbell, Jr. 1987 -- 1995 David Beasley 1995 - 1999 Executive Director of the World Food Programme Mark Sanford 2003 -- 2011 Nikki Haley 2011 -- 2017 United States Ambassador to the United Nations * Living former U.S. governors of South Carolina As of January 2017, there are six former U.S. governors of South Carolina who are currently living at this time, the oldest U.S. governor of South Carolina being Ernest `` Fritz '' Hollings ( served 1959 -- 1963, born 1922 ). The most recent U.S. governor of South Carolina to die was James Burrows Edwards ( served 1975 -- 1979, born 1927 ), on December 26, 2014. The most recently serving governor to die was Carroll A. Campbell, Jr. ( served 1987 -- 1995, born 1940 ) on December 7, 2005. Governor Gubernatorial term Date o Ernest `` Fritz '' Hollings 1959 -- 1963 ( 1922 - 01 - 01 ) January 1, 1922 ( age 95 ) Richard Riley 1979 -- 1987 ( 1933 - 01 - 02 ) January 2, 1933 ( age 84 ) David Beasley 1995 -- 1999 ( 1957 - 02 - 26 ) February 26, 1957 ( age 60 ) Jim Hodges 1999 -- 2003 ( 1956 - 11 - 19 ) November 19, 1956 ( age 60 ) Mark Sanford 2003 -- 2011 ( 1960 - 05 - 28 ) May 28, 1960 ( age 57 ) Nikki Haley 2011 -- 2017 ( 1972 - 01 - 20 ) January 20, 1972 ( age 45 ) See also Governor of South Carolina South Carolina gubernatorial elections List of Lieutenant Governors of South Carolina List of United States Senators from South Carolina List of United States Representatives from South Carolina Timeline of South Carolina References Jump up ^ http://www1.wfp.org/executive-director Jump up ^ `` Former Gov. James Edwards dies at 87 ''. wistv.com. WCSC and WIS. Retrieved 7 March 2015. External links SCIway List of South Carolina Governors in Chronological Order NNDB List of South Carolina Governors in Chronological Order National Governors Association List of South Carolina Governors `` South Carolina 's Colonial Governors '' Preservation Society Halsey Map Governors of South Carolina J. Rutledge Lowndes J. Rutledge Mathews Guerard Moultrie T. Pinckney C. Pinckney Moultrie Vanderhorst C. Pinckney E. Rutledge Drayton J. Richardson P. Hamilton C. Pinckney Drayton Middleton Alston D. Williams A. Pickens Geddes Bennett Wilson Manning I Taylor Miller J. Hamilton Hayne McDuffie Butler Noble Henagan Richardson II Hammond Aiken Johnson Seabrook Means J. Manning Adams Allston Gist F. Pickens Bonham Magrath Perry Orr Scott Moses Chamberlain Hampton Simpson Jeter Hagood Thompson Sheppard Richardson III Tillman Evans Ellerbe McSweeney Heyward Ansel Blease Smith Manning III Cooper Harvey McLeod Richards Blackwood Johnston Maybank Harley Jefferies Johnston R. Williams Thurmond Byrnes Timmerman Hollings Russell McNair West Edwards Riley Campbell Beasley Hodges Sanford Haley McMaster State of South Carolina Columbia ( capital ) Regions Atlantic Coastal Plain Blue Ridge Mountains Grand Strand High Hills of Santee Lake Murray Country Lowcountry Metrolina Midlands Ninety - Six District Olde English District Pee Dee Piedmont Sandhills Sea Islands Upstate Larger cities Charleston Columbia Greenville North Charleston Rock Hill Spartanburg Smaller cities Aiken Anderson Beaufort Bennettsville Camden Cayce Conway Easley Florence Forest Acres Gaffney Georgetown Greenwood Greer Goose Creek Hilton Head Island Isle of Palms Laurens Lexington Mauldin Myrtle Beach North Augusta North Myrtle Beach Orangeburg Simpsonville Summerville Sumter Union Walterboro West Columbia York Towns Abbeville Barnwell Batesburg - Leesville Bluffton Clemson Darlington Dillon Edgefield Fort Mill Fountain Inn Great Falls Hardeeville Irmo Jefferson Kingstree Liberty Marion McCormick Moncks Corner Mount Pleasant Newberry Pageland Pendleton Pickens Seneca Sullivan 's Island Travelers Rest Walhalla Westminster Williamston CDPs Berea Carolina Forest Dentsville Gantt Garden City Ladson Parker Red Hill Saint Andrews Seven Oaks Socastee Taylors Wade Hampton Counties Abbeville Aiken Allendale Anderson Bamberg Barnwell Beaufort Berkeley Calhoun Charleston Cherokee Chester Chesterfield Clarendon Colleton Darlington Dillon Dorchester Edgefield Fairfield Florence Georgetown Greenville Greenwood Hampton Horry Jasper Kershaw Lancaster Laurens Lee Lexington Marion Marlboro McCormick Newberry Oconee Orangeburg Pickens Richland Saluda Spartanburg Sumter Union Williamsburg York Topics Airports Amusement parks Census areas Colleges and universities Congressional districts Famous people Governors Highways Historic places History Legislature Media Newspapers Radio TV Rivers Shopping malls Sports venues State House State parks Tourist attractions Wildlife refuges Society Crime Culture Demographics Economy Education Politics Sports Years in South Carolina ( 1788 -- present ) 1788 1789 1790 1791 1792 1793 1794 1795 1796 1797 1798 1799 1800 1801 1802 1803 1804 1805 1806 1807 1808 1809 1810 1811 1812 1813 1814 1815 1816 1817 1818 1819 1820 1821 1822 1823 1824 1825 1826 1827 1828 1829 1830 1831 1832 1833 1834 1835 1836 1837 1838 1839 1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 1846 1847 1848 1849 1850 1851 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 Chief executives of the United States Federal President of the United States State governors ( current list ) Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Territorial ( current list ) American Samoa District of Columbia Guam Northern Mariana Islands Puerto Rico United States Virgin Islands Defunct Pre-state territories Panama Canal Zone Cuba Philippine Islands ( until 1935 ) Philippine Commonwealth ( until 1946 ) Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Governors_of_South_Carolina&oldid=802494126 '' Categories : Governors of South Carolina History of South Carolina Lists of South Carolina politicians Lists of state governors of the United States Hidden categories : Articles containing potentially dated statements from January 2017 All articles containing potentially dated statements Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Français Latina Magyar Nederlands 日本 語 Português Русский Slovenščina Svenska Edit links This page was last edited on 26 September 2017, at 14 : 25. 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Question: who was the first governor of south carolina
Answer: John Rutledge