Alan Wilson, the four-term Republican attorney general of South Carolina, kicked off his bid for the state’s first open gubernatorial race in 16 years, setting up a 2026 GOP primary contest that's likely to be a heated competition for President Donald Trump’s endorsement.

Attorney General Alan Wilson formally jumped into the 2026 race for South Carolina governor, the first of several Republicans looking to succeed McMaster.

Wilson is the Republican attorney general first elected in 2010. His adoptive father is U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson. Joe Wilson adopted Alan Wilson when he was four years old.