HM
Henry McMaster
RepublicanGovernor of South Carolina| Age | 79 (b. 1947-05-27) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 2017-01-01 (~9 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | White |
| Religion | Christian (Presbyterian; member of First Presbyterian Church, Columbia) |
| Education | B.A. in History, University of South Carolina (1969); J.D., University of South Carolina School of Law (1973) |
| Prior occupation | Attorney (federal prosecutor and private practice); U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina (1981-1985) |
| Military service | Yes: United States Army Reserve |
| Birthplace | Columbia, South Carolina |
| Marital status | Married — Peggy McMaster (nee Anderson) |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Columbia, South Carolina (Governor's Mansion) |
| Notable relatives | Father John Gregg McMaster Jr. was an attorney and former South Carolina State Representative; son Henry D. McMaster Jr.; daughter Mary Rogers McMaster |
Pending research: languages · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 2002 |
| Previous offices | U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina (1981-1985) · Chairman, South Carolina Republican Party (1993-2002) · Attorney General of South Carolina (2003-2011) · Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina (2015-2017) |
| Leadership | Governor of South Carolina (since 2017) · Chairman, South Carolina Republican Party (1993-2002) |
| Ideology | Conservative Republican; early and prominent supporter of Donald Trump (delivered Trump's nominating speech at the 2016 Republican National Convention) |
| Signature legislation | 2023 Fetal Heartbeat and Protection from Abortion Act (six-week abortion ban), signed into law · 2024 constitutional/open-carry law allowing permitless open carry of firearms, signed into law · 2022 law requiring student athletes to compete based on birth-certificate sex, signed into law |
Financial
Net worth: estimate
| Columbia, SC residential rental properties (approx. 20 single- and multi-family homes, incl. properties on Greene Street and Henderson Street near University of South Carolina) | real_estate · $5,800,000–$5,800,000 · 2016 |
Scandals & crimes ledger
resolved — S.C. State Ethics Commission campaign-finance violation (2010 gubernatorial campaign)
A 2014 ethics complaint (filed by a Greenville resident) alleged that McMaster's 2010 gubernatorial campaign collected more than $50,000 in excess of contribution limits by soliciting donations for a general election in which he was not participating (he lost the GOP nomination to Nikki Haley). The South Carolina State Ethics Commission charged him in January 2015. In March 2016 McMaster settled, agreeing to return about $73,000 in excessive contributions and to pay a $5,100 fine. He was Lieutenant Governor at the time and remained in office.