HomeOur EffortsFill the PipelineElected Office

S.C. Women in Leadership encourages women and supportive men to consider running for office at all levels of government or becoming engaged in helping someone you believe to be well-qualified in her campaign. For basic information about what offices are available, their qualifications, how to file and when, refer to the links below.

Let us know you’re thinking about running for office or helping with another woman’s campaign to get connected to campaign training and support.

Municipal Government

Municipal government is the public administration of cities and towns. There are 271 municipalities in South Carolina with three forms of municipal government authorized: mayor-council; council; and council-manager.

County Offices

South Carolina has 46 counties with the largest, population-wise, being Greenville and the smallest, Allendale. County government, through elected officials, administers and enforces state laws, collects taxes, assesses property, conducts elections, issues licenses, and records public documents. It also provides parks, libraries, hospitals, and a host of other services.

School Boards

Want to make sure your local schools are properly operated? School board members are elected in 77 of the state’s 81 school districts, while four districts have members appointed by a county board. Most school board elections are held in November.

S.C. House of Representatives

The South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly, the upper house being the South Carolina Senate. It consists of 124 Representatives elected to two year terms at the same time as US Congressional elections.

S.C. Senate

The SC Senate is the upper house of the SC Legislature. It consists of 46 senators each elected from a single member district for four year terms at the same time as United States Presidential elections.

Statewide Office

The South Carolina Constitution provides for the separate election of nine executive officers. This is a large number of elective offices compared to most states, which generally give the governor the executive power to appoint members of the cabinet.

U.S. House of Representatives

South Carolina has seven congressional districts. Each congressional district is comprised of portions of multiple counties.

U.S. Senate

Each state in the U.S. has two senators, each of whom serves all the people of that state.

I would like to be listed as a candidate.