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South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster will take the oath of office this month for the start of the term which will make him the longest-serving governor in state history.
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster will take the oath of office next month for the start of the term which will make him the longest-serving governor in state history.
The 98th South Carolina Inaugural, which will celebrate the inauguration of McMaster, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and the state’s constitutional officers, is set for Jan. 11 in Columbia.
The day’s events will begin with a prayer service at 9 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Columbia.
The inaugural ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. on the Statehouse steps in Columbia.
The state’s first family will hold an open house at the Governor’s Mansion from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., and will end the day with the Inaugural Ball from 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center on Lincoln Street.
The 75-year-old Republican defeated Democratic challenger and former First District Congressman Joe Cunningham in November to win his second full term in office. The race was called for McMaster less than two hours after polls closed on election night.
McMaster became governor the final two years of former Gov. Nikki Haley’s term when she stepped down to accept a role as ambassador for the United Nations. When he completes his second term, he will have served longer as South Carolina governor than anyone else in state history.
McMaster said earlier this month he selected Bill and Linda Stern to lead the Inaugural Committee planning the day’s events.
It will be the third time the Sterns have put together the ceremonies for governors as they take power. Bill Stern, the South Carolina Ports Authority board chair, developer and significant Republican donor, organized McMaster’s first inaugural in 2019 and Gov. Mark Sanford’s second inaugural in 2007.
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