Henry McMaster Bio
Henry Dargan McMaster (born May 27, 1947) is an American politician and attorney serving as the 117th governor of South Carolina since 2017. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the state’s attorney general from 2003 to 2011 and as lieutenant governor from 2015 until succeeding Nikki Haley in 2017. McMaster began his public service as United States Attorney for the District of South Carolina from 1981 to 1985 after appointment by President Ronald Reagan. He holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina and has been a prominent figure in South Carolina governance for decades.
Early Life and Background
Henry Dargan McMaster was born on May 27, 1947, in Columbia, South Carolina. He is the eldest son of John Gregg and Ida Dargan (Pet) McMaster. Growing up in the state capital, he spent his formative years in a household that valued public service and the law, influences that shaped his later career path in politics and government.
McMaster attended the University of South Carolina, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history in 1969. He was a member of the Kappa Alpha Order fraternity during his undergraduate years. He continued his education at the University of South Carolina School of Law, where he served on the editorial board of the South Carolina Law Review. In 1973, he received his Juris Doctor and was admitted to the Richland County Bar Association of the South Carolina Bar. McMaster also served in the United States Army Reserve, receiving an honorable discharge in 1975.
Path to US Politics
Upon graduation from law school, McMaster worked as a legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond in Washington, D.C., until 1974. He then joined the firm of Tompkins and McMaster, where he practiced law for almost 29 years. During this time, he served both as a federal prosecutor and in private practice, representing clients in state and federal courts at trial and appellate levels.
On the recommendation of Senator Thurmond, President Ronald Reagan nominated McMaster as United States Attorney for the District of South Carolina in 1981. The Senate confirmed him on May 21, 1981, making him Reagan’s first nomination for a U.S. attorney. After completing his term on December 31, 1985, McMaster transitioned into elective politics, beginning with his 1986 U.S. Senate campaign.
Henry McMaster Career
Early Career (1981-1992)
McMaster gained statewide attention during his tenure as U.S. Attorney by creating the federal drug task force Operation Jackpot to investigate South Carolina marijuana smugglers. The operation ultimately arrested more than 100 people for crimes related to marijuana and hashish trafficking. McMaster’s aggressive use of press conferences drew both publicity and criticism, with journalist Lee Bandy noting that no previous U.S. attorney had been as public-relations conscious.
After leaving the U.S. Attorney’s office, McMaster launched his first political campaign, winning the 1986 Republican primary for the United States Senate against Henry Jordan. He lost the general election in a landslide to four-term Democratic incumbent Fritz Hollings, carrying only Lexington County. In 1990, he ran for lieutenant governor and again lost to the Democratic incumbent, Nick Theodore.
South Carolina Republican Party Chair (1993-2002)
On May 8, 1993, McMaster was elected chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party, a position he held for nearly a decade. He was reelected by the State Republican Convention in 1996, 1998, and 2000, while also serving as a member of the Republican National Committee. Under his leadership, the South Carolina GOP captured the governorship, several statewide offices, and ultimately both chambers of the state legislature by 2000.
McMaster also oversaw highly competitive Republican presidential primaries in 1996, won by Bob Dole, and 2000, won by George W. Bush. On March 28, 2002, he announced his resignation as party chairman to pursue a run for attorney general.
Attorney General of South Carolina (2003-2011)
McMaster placed first in the 2002 Republican primary for attorney general and defeated Larry Richter in the runoff. In the general election, he defeated Democrat Stephen K. Benjamin with about 55.5 percent of the vote. As attorney general, McMaster successfully led the 2006 fight to ban same-sex marriage in South Carolina.
He was reelected in 2006, running unopposed in both the Republican primary and the general election. In 2010, McMaster ran for governor but finished third in the Republican primary behind Nikki Haley, who ultimately won the nomination and the general election. He then served on the South Carolina Ports Authority after being appointed by Governor Haley in 2011.
Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina (2015-2017)
McMaster filed to run for lieutenant governor on March 27, 2014, and received 44 percent of the vote in a four-way Republican primary. He defeated Mike Campbell in the runoff with 63.6 percent of the vote and won the general election on November 4, 2014, with 58.8 percent of the vote. He succeeded Democrat Yancey McGill upon his inauguration, running on a separate ticket from Governor Haley, the last time this arrangement was used in South Carolina.
During the 2016 presidential campaign, McMaster was an early and avid supporter of Donald Trump, claiming to be the first elected politician in the United States to back him. After Trump won the Republican nomination, McMaster delivered the nominating speech at the Republican National Convention.
Governor of South Carolina (2017-Present)
McMaster became governor on January 24, 2017, when Nikki Haley resigned to become U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. At 69 years and 8 months old, he was the oldest person ever to assume the office of governor in South Carolina. His first major action was to request $5.18 billion from President Trump for South Carolina’s infrastructure. Later in 2017, he vetoed a 12-cent gas tax increase, the largest in state history, though the legislature overrode his veto the following day.
McMaster placed first in the June 2018 Republican gubernatorial primary with 42.3 percent of the vote, forcing a runoff with John Warren that he won with over 53 percent. He defeated Democrat James Smith in the general election with 54 percent of the vote and chose businesswoman Pamela Evette as his running mate. He won reelection in 2022, defeating Democrat Joe Cunningham. On January 29, 2025, McMaster became South Carolina’s longest-serving governor.
Notable Events and Milestones
McMaster signed the 2021 Fetal Heartbeat Act and the 2023 Heartbeat bill, both of which restricted abortion access in South Carolina. In 2024, he signed legislation allowing permit-less open carry of firearms, reducing the minimum age for handgun ownership from 21 to 18. He also mobilized the South Carolina National Guard in 2018 and again in 2023 to assist Texas with border security operations, citing the need to stop drug cartels and illegal immigration.
As of February 9, 2026, McMaster had signed nearly 1,000 bills, vetoed 36, and had 24 vetoes overridden. On April 17, 2025, President Trump appointed McMaster to the Homeland Security Advisory Council.
Henry McMaster Family
Family Background and Political Lineage
McMaster is the eldest son of John Gregg and Ida Dargan (Pet) McMaster. His early mentor in politics and law was U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond, for whom he worked as a legislative assistant after law school. Thurmond’s recommendation later helped McMaster secure his appointment as U.S. Attorney from President Reagan, establishing a long-standing connection between McMaster and prominent South Carolina political figures.
Personal Life
McMaster has been married to Peggy McMaster, née Anderson, since 1978. The couple has two adult children and resides in Columbia, South Carolina. He owns an English Bulldog named Mac, and the family attends First Presbyterian Church in Columbia. McMaster and his wife also own several houses and rental apartments in the Columbia area, including the McCord House, which was constructed in 1849 and used as a Union headquarters during the Civil War.