Joe Wilson Holds South Carolina House Seat

Wilson won re-election in South Carolina's 2nd Congressional District in the November 3 midterm elections.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Elections

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a simplified dome silhouette over a flat horizon, in deep red and cream, evoking a close civic electoral result. — Republican Joe Wilson retained South Carolina's 2nd Congressional District seat in the November 3 midterms, edging Democrat Zyon Khalifa 49.84% to 48.81%. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Republican Joe Wilson retained his seat representing South Carolina's 2nd Congressional District, receiving 49.84% of the vote, or 147,620 ballots. Democratic challenger Zyon Khalifa received 48.81%, or 144,593 votes, in a race that was narrow before the count was complete.

Why it matters

Wilson has held the seat since 2001, and his margin over Khalifa was slim, a signal of how competitive the district remained. The result keeps the seat in Republican hands for the next congressional term.

Wilson's 49.84% share edged out Khalifa's 48.81%, with Smith taking 1.24% of the vote. The source does not indicate whether the count has been finalized or whether any recount is pending.

The players

Joe Wilson

Joe Wilson is the Republican congressman who has represented South Carolina's 2nd Congressional District since 2001 and co-chairs the Congressional Morocco Caucus.

Zyon Khalifa

Zyon Khalifa is the Democratic challenger who ran against Wilson in South Carolina's 2nd Congressional District in the 2026 midterms.

Jimmy Panetta

Jimmy Panetta is a Democratic congressman from California who co-authored with Wilson a bill seeking to designate the Polisario as a foreign terrorist organization.

The details

Wilson won the seat in the U.S. midterm elections held Tuesday, November 3, defeating Democrat Zyon Khalifa and South Carolina Workers Party candidate Dayna Alane Smith. The race was close before the count was complete, and Wilson's lead narrowed the gap but did not settle it until the tally was largely in.

June 2025: Wilson co-authored a bill with Jimmy Panetta to designate the Polisario as a foreign terrorist organization, introduced in Congress.
Previous legislative session: Wilson and Brad Schneider co-chaired the Congressional Morocco Caucus.
November 3, 2026: Midterm elections held; Wilson re-elected.

Political Context

Wilson's re-election keeps him positioned as a senior member of the Congressional Morocco Caucus, which he co-chaired with Brad Schneider to strengthen U.S.-Morocco relations. The bill he co-authored with Panetta reflects a continuing congressional push on Western Sahara, and opposition or Democratic pushback on that specific measure is not addressed in the source.

Because Wilson retained the seat, South Carolina's 2nd District continues with the same congressional representative for the next term. Voters in the district will see Wilson continue to set policy priorities on issues such as U.S.-Morocco relations.

The takeaway

Wilson's narrow margin shows that even long-held congressional seats can tighten in midterm contests. Readers following South Carolina's delegation can track how the district's priorities develop in the coming session.