COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCBD) — Longtime prosecutor David Pascoe has entered the Republican race to become South Carolina’s next attorney general.

Pascoe, who has been serving as the 1st Circuit Solicitor since 2005, officially announced his candidacy during the Daniel Island Republican Club Breakfast on Monday, emphasizing that the state is facing a pivotal moment.

“We can continue on the path of increasing crime, unchecked corruption, and weak leadership, or we can take a stand, and I intend to take that stand,” he declared. “Today, I present not only my record but also a vision to transform South Carolina into the safest, least corrupt state in the nation.”

At 58, Pascoe was appointed as the special prosecutor for a 2014 State House corruption investigation that resulted in the indictments of several Republican legislators, including former House Speaker Bobby Harrell, as well as the notable political consultant Richard Quinn Sr.

If elected, Pascoe said he hopes to “finish the job.”

“Despite our efforts, we are aware that corruption still has a stronghold in South Carolina, particularly in Columbia. When I attempted to delve deeper, the Supreme Court ordered me to halt,” he noted. “They stopped me because I wasn’t the attorney general. Well, today, I’m setting out to change that.”

Recently, Pascoe has been a vocal advocate for judicial reform, sharply criticizing the state’s process for judicial selection and the influence wielded by lawyer-legislators over it.

State lawmakers voted last year to reform the state’s vetting panel to address some of these concerns, though Pascoe believes the changes made do not go far enough.

Pascoe hinted at a possible run for higher office in April when he announced a switch in party affiliation from Democratic to Republican, saying his former party had become “too soft on crime.”

“I can no longer in good conscience wear the label ‘Democrat,'” he said at the time. “[The Democratic Party] has become a party that embraces progressive extremes on prosecutorial policies, disregards the dangers of crimes committed by illegal immigrants, and prioritizes radical agendas over public safety.”

But members of his former party were quick to challenge the motivation behind the switch, with South Carolina Democratic Party Chairwoman Christale Spain saying at the time that Pascoe “has been trying to find a lane to run for higher office.”

Though he is seeking to become the state’s top prosecutor, Pascoe pledged his political aspirations would stop there.

“I will never run for another office, but for attorney general,” he told the audience. “I have no interest in higher office.”

Pascoe became the second Republican to join the race to succeed Attorney General Alan Wilson, who is seeking the GOP nomination for governor.

He was joined by his longtime friend, 9th Circuit Solicitor Scarlett Wilson, as well as 16th Circuit Solicitor Kevin Brackett, 14th Circuit Solicitor Duffie Stone, and former U.S. Attorney Bart Daniel for Monday’s announcement.

Pascoe is slated to attend the Berkeley County Republican Party’s executive meeting Monday evening in Goose Creek before making stops at the Statehouse in Columbia and Greenville on Tuesday, according to a schedule provided by the campaign.

State Sen. Stephen Goldfinch (R-Georgetown) launched his campaign in early July.

Filing for the 2026 general election officially opens next March.