By admin 
Sitting in at State Rep. Jermaine Johnson’s kitchen table in his Richland County house, former Charleston County Democratic Party Chairman Sam Skardon talks about the potential for South Carolina Democrats in the upcoming 2026 midterm elections.
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“The opportunity for organizing in this cycle is incredible, and that’s why I think there’s real possibility of seeing different results,” Skardon said.
Democrats have a candidate in all 124 state House districts, each of the seven congressional districts and for each of the statewide office.
The 38-year-old Skardon himself will be one of the statewide candidates. Johnson, the Democratic nominee for governor, on Thursday announced Skardon would be his lieutenant governor running mate in November’s election.
Skardon spent two years as Charleston County Democratic Party chairman, a role that requires organizing efforts to mobilize voters ahead of elections.
Skardon, who also worked for the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis, worked for the Clean Energy Fund of the Carolinas for the last two years. The nonprofit lender finances solar, battery storage and electric vehicle infrastructure projects across North and South Carolina.
Previously, Skardon worked at a nonprofit community lender that provided financing for small businesses. It focused on businesses that were women and minority owned businesses, and affordable housing developments around the state.
“It’s an incredible opportunity to advance a cause I believe in,” Skardon said in an interview discussing being Johnson’s running mate. “The career I’ve built is also in community lending. So it’s about building an economy that works for South Carolina, and that means getting capital into communities that wouldn’t otherwise have access to it.”
Skardon also has served as a commission on the Charleston Housing Authority and on the Charleston Women and Minority Business Empowerment Commission.
The role of lieutenant governor is only to take over if the governor resigns, dies or is removed from office. Other than that, the job has is no defined responsibilities and governors can set how they want that job to operate. Johnson said he would have Skardon work with the small business community.
“He’s got tremendous experience helping out our small businesses and organizations that don’t have traditional ways of accessing capital and figuring out the whole strategy behind how to get access to money to you know realize their American dream,” Johnson said. “Somebody like Sam, who has experience doing that, can give hope to some people who never felt like they could even realize their dream of opening up a restaurant, or opening up a barber shop, or they just don’t know where to start.”
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In the general election, Johnson is facing off Attorney General Alan Wilson, who won the Republican nomination in June in a runoff. Wilson’s running mate is state Sen. Mike Reichenbach, R-Florence.
Skardon in the interview Wednesday ahead of the rollout was ready to take a shot against Wilson, who is in his 16th year as attorney general.
“South Carolinians want something different. They don’t want a family that’s been in office for 58 years,” referring to Wilson’s father, U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, who is in his 42nd year in elected office. “That is not a ticket that’s going to deliver change.”
Johnson’s campaign pointed out that Skardon sought to help small businesses such as food trucks, daycare operators, coffee shops and hair salons as his campaign wants to focus on public education, health care access affordability and building an economy that works for small business and working families.
Skardon has mostly been in the background of campaigns as opposed to being a candidate. He worked as a field organizer for then U.S. Sen. Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign first in South Carolina’s presidential primary and later in Georgia’s general election.
He ran for the state Senate in 2020, challenging then state Sen. Sandy Senn, R-Charleston in the general election. He lost by 1,300 votes.
Skardon’s wife, Leslie Skardon, was elected to Charleston City Council last year.
The 41-year-old Johnson, who is known for being charismatic and experienced homelessness while he was growing up, said Skardon will help balance the ticket as someone who has “know-how.”
“He has a lot of the the the experience of working with people who are looking for opportunities, knowing how to create those opportunities for people, and knowing how to come up with solutions to complicated problems,” Johnson said.
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