Sam Skardon, a Charleston Democrat, is running as the Democratic nominee for South Carolina lieutenant governor in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. He joins gubernatorial nominee Jermaine Johnson's ticket.

Johnson announced Skardon as his running mate on July 30 at a press conference at the South Carolina State House, according to SC Daily Gazette. Skardon faces Republican Mike Reichenbach, Green Party candidate Arnold E. Karr and United Citizens candidate Candace Brewer, according to BallotReady.

Candidate information

  • Name: Sam Skardon
  • Party: Democratic
  • Age: 38 as of July 2026, according to The State
  • Hometown: Grew up in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina; lives in Charleston with his wife and twin 4-year-old sons, according to the Post and Courier and SC Daily Gazette
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in history from Emory University (2010); master of business administration from Georgetown University (2016), according to BallotReady
  • Campaign website: samskardon.com

Skardon named one of his sons after the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis, the Gazette reported.

Experience and public service

Skardon was the youngest member of John Lewis' congressional staff, where he promoted the Obama administration's Affordable Care Act in 2010 and met with students and visitors to share Lewis' civil rights history, according to SC Daily Gazette. Before joining Lewis' office, he worked as a student organizer on Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign, the Gazette reported.

He served as chairman of the Charleston County Democratic Party from 2022 to 2024, according to the Post and Courier. He also serves as a commissioner on the Charleston Housing Authority and the Charleston Women and Minority Business Empowerment Commission, according to The State.

Skardon ran for the South Carolina state Senate in 2020, challenging Republican incumbent Sandy Senn in District 41. He lost by about 1,300 votes, within 2 percentage points, the Gazette reported.

His professional career includes roles as director of development and policy at Charleston LDC (2019–2023) and director of development at MDC (2023–2024), according to BallotReady. He is South Carolina director of strategic partnerships and development at Clean Energy Fund of the Carolinas, according to BallotReady.

Skardon said he has spent his career as a nonprofit lender, providing financing to small businesses, clean energy projects and affordable housing developments across South Carolina. He described his work as "getting capital into the hands of more people so they can build wealth in our economy," the Gazette reported.

Johnson said he would put Skardon in charge of helping small businesses if the two win in November, given Skardon's experience in community lending and nonprofit finance, according to the Post and Courier.

On the issues

Skardon outlined three priorities on his campaign website: making South Carolina more affordable for working families, improving public education and investing in infrastructure. He told WSPA: "I'm thrilled to use a business background to get more money into communities that need it."

Housing and affordability: Skardon's campaign says it is time to welcome South Carolinians into quality, reasonably priced homes and to compete with private equity firms buying houses and reselling them at higher prices. He also calls for lowering property taxes and reducing income taxes to ease the burden on working-class residents.

Education and infrastructure: Skardon's campaign calls for investment in public education and in roads and bridges, which his website describes as in disrepair. He also says the state should build more balanced infrastructure.

Workers and public safety: Skardon's campaign calls for improving conditions for workers, investing in law enforcement and passing a hate crimes law. His campaign also says it supports protecting women's reproductive rights.

Healthcare: Skardon's campaign says every adult and child should have access to affordable medical care. He calls for constructing more rural hospitals and investing in mental health services.

Environment: Skardon's campaign website says climate change is a real and growing threat and calls for South Carolina to become a national leader in fighting its root causes.