Curtis M. Loftis Jr., a Republican, is seeking reelection as South Carolina treasurer in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. He faces Democrat Vincent Coe. Fort Mill and Tega Cay voters will see this statewide race on their ballots.

Loftis has held the office since 2011. He first won the seat in 2010, defeating incumbent Converse Chellis in the Republican primary with 62% of the vote, carrying all 46 counties, according to his Wikipedia biography. That made him the first Republican to defeat a sitting incumbent in a statewide GOP primary in South Carolina, according to the same source.

Candidate information

  • Full name: Curtis M. Loftis Jr.
  • Party: Republican
  • Office sought: South Carolina Treasurer
  • Born: Sept. 8, 1958, in Columbia, South Carolina
  • Hometown: Lexington County, South Carolina
  • Education: Bachelor's degree from the University of South Carolina, 1981
  • Business background: Owner of several central South Carolina businesses involved in real estate, according to Wikipedia. Founder and owner of Home Pest Control Company from 1981 to 2001, according to the same source.

Experience and public service

Loftis holds several appointed positions tied to his role as treasurer. He serves as chairman of the South Carolina State Board of Financial Institutions, vice chairman of the South Carolina State Fiscal Accountability Authority, vice chairman of the South Carolina Education Authority and vice chairman of the South Carolina Tobacco Authority, according to the state treasurer's office website. He is also a member of the South Carolina Financial Literacy Board of Trustees.

He has held leadership roles in the National Association of State Treasurers and the College Savings Plan Network, according to the treasurer's office. BallotReady lists him as immediate past president of the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators.

At the University of South Carolina, Loftis was twice elected president of the Student Senate and served as president of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, according to Wikipedia. He served as state chairman of Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign in South Carolina and as chairman of the state's delegation to the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida.

Loftis founded the Saluda Charitable Foundation in 1999. The foundation's activities are faith-based and provide nutritional and housing services to orphans and the elderly, according to Wikipedia. The foundation provided over 500,000 meals to the needy and supported medical missions in Haiti.

He was named one of Columbia Business Monthly's 50 Most Influential for 2023, 2024 and 2025, according to the treasurer's office. He also received the "2019 Charter School Champion of the Year" award from the Public Charter School Alliance of South Carolina and the "Friend of the Taxpayer" award from the South Carolina Association of Taxpayers.

On the issues

Environmental, social and governance investing: Loftis said on his official treasurer's office page that he "has been a consistent leader in resisting mandates from unelected bodies, especially as it relates to public pension reform, overreaching regulations that harm taxpayers and states, and the increased emphasis on ESG." ESG investing considers environmental, social and governance factors in investment decisions.

Editor's note: Loftis did not respond to the Fort Mill-Tega Cay Times candidate questionnaire. This profile is based on public records and official sources. Voters can find more information at the South Carolina treasurer's office website.