SC GOP senator ends bid for governor, making it a 5-way race

State Sen. Josh Kimbrell is ending his run for governor of South Carolina, the Spartanburg County Republican said in a video posted to social media Wednesday.

But he’s still on the June 9 GOP primary ballot.

His decision comes with two days left in early voting.

“It was an honor to run for governor of South Carolina,” said Kimbrell, of Boiling Springs. “I think I proved in all the debates that I’ve participated in I had real ideas and a real record of accomplishment in the Legislature.”

Kimbrell, first elected to the state Senate in 2020, said his decision to drop out of the six-way race involved myriad factors, “including some of the nastiest politics I’ve ever experienced in my life” since he launched his campaign last June.

Kimbrell’s gubernatorial campaign was dogged from the start by months of legal drama related to the private aircraft chartering business he founded in 2017.

Amid mounting legal drama, candidate for SC governor tells voters not to write him off

Two weeks after he announced his candidacy for governor, his former business partner, Frank Rogers, sued Kimbrell, accusing him of funneling more than $2 million from the business into personal and campaign expenses.

Kimbrell denied the allegations and counter-sued for defamation.

In a 21-minute Facebook video posted last December, he said the cost of his multi-month legal battle left him thousands of dollars in debt and forced him to sell the home he shares with his wife and two children.

In his opening comments at Monday’s GOP gubernatorial debate, Kimbrell noted that half of the GOP field didn’t participate.

“I’m happy to be here with the two members who showed up,” he said, referring to U.S. Reps. Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman, the other two on stage at the debate hosted by and broadcast on South Carolina Educational Television.

Dropping out of the debate starting Sunday were Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, followed by businessman Rom Reddy and Attorney General Alan Wilson, according to SCETV.

Other than participate in GOP gubernatorial debates, Kimbrell didn’t seem to publicly campaign. He came in last in various polls.

And he was way behind in fundraising, collecting about $80,000 through March 31, according to his latest filings with the state Election Commission. The other five candidates all raised or self-funded millions of dollars each, reports showed.

In Wednesday’s video, Kimbrell said he would continue serving his Senate term. Senators aren’t up for re-election until 2028.

He said he’s still weighing who he would support for governor.

He said he’ll back the candidate he thinks “will carry forward an agenda of pro-family, pro free markets, pro limited government in our state.”

“The fight goes on,” Kimbrell added. “I will continue to stay in the fight and I appreciate all those who’ve supported me, encouraged me, and worked with me over the past year.”