What’s Really Going On With the SC Supreme Court (Part 1)
Something unusual, and honestly, unprecedented happened in March with South Carolina Supreme Court.
TLDR: A sitting Supreme Court justice with more than two decades on the bench withdrew from his own re-election race the day before lawmakers were set to vote. Justice John Cannon Few, who has served in South Carolina’s judiciary for 26 years, stepped aside in a way we haven’t seen in modern history.
That’s the headline. But like most things in South Carolina, the real story isn’t just what happened, it’s how and why it happened. And to understand that, we have to start with something most people don’t know: how judges are selected in South Carolina.
So… Who Actually Picks Our Judges?
Unlike most states, South Carolina does not elect judges through a public vote. Instead, members of the South Carolina General Assembly (170 lawmakers total) choose who sits on our courts, including the state’s highest court. That means the same body that passes laws is also responsible for deciding who interprets them. The process is run through the Judicial Merit Selection Commission (JMSC), a 12-member panel made up primarily of legislators, along with a handful of gubernatorial appointees. Their role is to screen candidates, conduct interviews, and determine who is qualified to move forward. Once that list is finalized, the General Assembly holds a joint vote to elect judges.
Because the House has significantly more members than the Senate, its voting bloc tends to carry more weight in these elections. That dynamic has raised questions for years about influence, transparency, and balance of power, and in March, we saw exactly why those questions keep coming up.
Why This Matters (More Than You Might Think)
Before we go further, it’s worth grounding in why this matters at all. State courts are not abstract institutions operating in the background. They shape the conditions of our daily lives. They make final decisions about voting rights, workers’ rights, access to housing and healthcare, and environmental protections. Increasingly, state Supreme Courts are where some of the most consequential decisions about our rights are made. And yet, the composition of those courts doesn’t always reflect the communities they serve.
In South Carolina, there are a few details about the Supreme Court that are important for context and understanding.
Judges are required to retire at age 72, which creates predictable turnover over time. In 2023, the state became the only one in the nation without a woman serving on its highest court. In 2024 Letitia Verdin was elected to the bench, an important moment, but one that also resulted in a court that is (currently, as of April 2026) all white. That lack of gender and racial diversity has been a growing concern, especially as the court continues to make decisions that impact a wide range of communities across the state. Representation on the bench is not just symbolic; it shapes perspective, trust, and the legitimacy of the institution itself.
Setting the Stage
Against that backdrop, we knew a change was coming. Justice Few’s term was set to expire in 2026 due to the mandatory retirement age. The Judicial Merit Selection Commission began its work in the fall of 2025. After reviewing applications and conducting interviews, the Commission advanced four candidates: the incumbent/sitting judge Justice Few, former House Speaker Jay Lucas, Court of Appeals Judge Blake Hewitt, and Administrative Law Court Chief Judge Ralph King Anderson III.
Even before anything dramatic happened, this race was already unusual. It was the first time in more than 20 years that a sitting South Carolina Supreme Court justice faced a challenge to keep his seat. It was also unfolding under newly amended rules that expanded the number of candidates who could be forwarded to the legislature, signaling an attempt to open up the process. And perhaps most notably, one of the challengers was the former Speaker of the House (a partisan position), bringing a level of political influence into the race that’s hard to ignore.
By early 2026, everything appeared to be moving forward on schedule. The candidates had been vetted and lawmakers were preparing to cast their votes in March.
And then, just one day before that vote, everything changed.
On March 3, 2026 Justice Few withdrew his re-election bid.
What led to that moment, and what it reveals about how power actually operates in South Carolina’s judicial system, is where the story really begins.
Be The Ones is a nonpartisan grassroots organization building healthier communities, a more equitable democracy, and expanding power by removing barriers to local civic participation across the South Carolina.
