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by WILL FOLKS
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Retired United States Air Force (USAF) colonel Alex Pelbath, a former C-17 special operations pilot who commanded the last American mission out of Afghanistan in 2021, is running for the U.S. Congress in South Carolina.
Pelbath is one of three announced candidates for the seat being vacated by U.S. congresswoman Nancy Mace, who is running for governor of the Palmetto State. State representative Marvin “Mark” Smith announced his candidacy two weeks ago, while Dorchester County councilman Jay Byars announced his bid late last week. Charleston County councilwoman Jenny Honeycutt is also reportedly considering campaigning for the seat, which stretches from Hilton Head Island to the Santee River along South Carolina’s Lowcountry coast – including parts of Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties.
Pelbath, of Mount Pleasant, spent 22 years in the Air Force, flying more than 4,000 hours – including 1,000 combat hours. According to his campaign, he served as air mission commander for the “final evacuation from Kabul, overseeing all aircraft involved and personally flying the last American plane out.” A decorated pilot, he has received the Distinguished Flying Cross and was the first-ever recipient of the Air Force’s Sully Sullenberger award for courage.
As we noted in previewing this field recently, Pelbath also has extensive budgetary and diplomatic experience, serving as a top advisor to former U.S. joint chiefs of staff chairman Joseph Dunford.
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“Pelbath helped shape two national defense budgets and advised the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on global threats,” his campaign announcement noted. “He saw firsthand how weak leadership and woke ideology are undermining America’s strength—and he’s determined to stop it.”
Pelbath described himself as a “mission first” ally of U.S. president Donald Trump, stating he is running to provide the president with “the reinforcements he needs.”
“I witnessed the devastation caused by career politicians’ weak leadership,” Pelbath said in announcing his candidacy. “I never planned to run for Congress, but I can’t stand by while Washington puts politics before the mission. America needs leaders who will stand with President Trump and deliver on his effort to Make America Great Again—by ending the flow of illegal immigrants, stopping the woke nonsense in our schools and military, and fighting for an economy that works for Lowcountry families.”
“I was the last one out,” Pelbath stated. “But the mission’s not over.”
After nearly forty years of uninterrupted “Republican” rule, South Carolina’s first district was briefly held by Democrat Joe Cunningham from 2019-2021. Mace ousted him in the 2020 election, however, and decisively defeated a well-funded Democrat challenger in 2022.
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It’s not imme diately clear who will run on the Democrat side in 2026, although state representative Spencer Wetmore – who occupies a swing district in the S.C. House – is often touted as a viable option for her party.
Wetmore is not inclined to seek the seat, sources familiar with her thinking have told FITSNews.
The latest Partisan Voting Index (PVI) from the Cook Political Report has the first district is listed as R+6, which is slightly more centrist than it was two years ago (R+7).
Filing for this seat is expected to open in mid-March of 2026, with partisan primary elections scheduled for June 9, 2026. If no candidate receives a majority of votes, runoff elections between the top two candidates would be held two weeks later.
The general election is currently scheduled for November 3, 2026.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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2 comments
Here’s a suggestion that would be nice for all political candidates to follow, from Governor, to Congressmen or Congresswomen, to state legislature Campaign for the office. Don’t campaign for Trump’s endorsement for the office. He is not running. You are.
I want to thank veteran Alex Pelbath for his service to the United States of America. Rest assured he will receive my vote!!!