John
Peterson
Republican challenger to Rep. Jim Clyburn in South Carolina's 6th Congressional District (2026)
- sources
- 6
- positions
- 5
- endorsements
- 0
Background
John Peterson is a Republican candidate for U.S. House of Representatives in South Carolina's 6th Congressional District, running in the November 3, 2026 general election against incumbent Democrat Jim Clyburn. 12
Peterson works as a banquet supervisor for Embassy Suites at the North Charleston Convention Center and serves as president of the Deer Park 1B precinct in the Charleston County Republican Party. 10 He holds a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from the State University of New York at Brockport (2000) and previously worked in customer-service management for Wegmans grocery stores in the Rochester and Syracuse, New York, areas. 10
Peterson and his family have lived in South Carolina since 2014, with a Charleston address on file with the state election commission. 110 He has no prior elected public office; his precinct-party presidency is a party organizational role. 10
Peterson volunteered for Donald Trump's campaigns in North Carolina in 2020 and in South Carolina and Georgia in 2024. 10
At a glance
- Party
- Republican
- Running for
- U.S. House · District 6, South Carolina
- Election
- Nov 3, 2026
- Website
- johnpeterson.org(opens in a new tab)
Where they stand
Each position links to the page it was drawn from. Quotes are verbatim.
Timeline
- Oct 10pollForecasters rate SC-06 Solid D; models give Peterson less than 1% chance of winning
Seldon's forecast gave Clyburn greater than 99% probability of winning and Peterson less than 1%, with a modeled margin of Clyburn +34.2. Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, and Sabato's Crystal Ball all rated the district 'Solid D.'
South Carolina's 6th District 2026 Forecast: Clyburn vs. Peterson · Oct 10, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Oct 9newsiVoterGuide profile shows Peterson did not answer candidate questionnaire
iVoterGuide's profile for Peterson lists him for the June 9 primary and November 3 general election but marks all questionnaire answers as 'Did not answer,' providing no new policy positions.
John Peterson - South Carolina Republican Primary - iVoterGuide · Oct 9, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Oct 6newsWLTX voter guide lists Peterson as Republican candidate in SC-06 general election
WLTX's South Carolina voter guide for the November 3 election listed the District 6 general-election candidates as Democrat James Clyburn, Republican John Peterson, and Alliance Party candidate Joseph Oddo.
South Carolina voter guide 2026: What to know for the November 3 election · Oct 6, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Sep 28newsChamberLight lists Peterson as having 'NO FEC REPORTS ON FILE,' conflicting with other data
ChamberLight's district page reported Peterson had no FEC reports on file, in conflict with fundraising figures cited by The Political Group. Sources reviewed do not resolve the discrepancy.
South Carolina's 6th Congressional District 2026: Clyburn vs. Peterson | ChamberLight · Sep 28, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Sep 27newsAnalyst estimates Clyburn holds ~23.6-point structural advantage over Peterson in SC-06
The Political Group's Underdog analysis found no public poll of SC-06 had been published and modeled a 23.6-point starting lead for Clyburn based on past election results, describing Peterson's path as an underdog scenario.
What It Would Take for John Peterson to Win SC-06 in 2026 · Sep 27, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Jun 30newsPeterson reports $1.225M raised and $1.634M cash on hand per FEC filings through June 30
The Political Group's analysis, citing FEC reports through June 30, 2026, reported Peterson had raised $1,225,051 since January 1, 2025, and held $1,634,793 cash on hand.
What It Would Take for John Peterson to Win SC-06 in 2026 · Sep 27, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Jun 9filingJohn Peterson wins Republican primary for SC-06, advances to general election
iVoterGuide's Peterson profile lists the June 9 Republican primary as part of his electoral record; his appearance on the general-election ballot confirms he advanced, though specific primary result details are not sourced.
John Peterson - South Carolina Republican Primary - iVoterGuide · Oct 9, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
Campaign finance
Totals filed with the Federal Election Commission for the 2026 election cycle.
- Raised
- $0
- Spent
- $0
- Cash on hand
- $0
Reporting date not available. ↳ FEC record H6SC06184(opens in a new tab)
Sources 6
- [1] South Carolina's 6th District 2026 Forecast: Clyburn vs. Peterson(opens in a new tab) Oct 10, 2026
- [2] John Peterson - South Carolina Republican Primary - iVoterGuide(opens in a new tab) Oct 9, 2026
- [3] South Carolina voter guide 2026: What to know for the November 3 election(opens in a new tab) Oct 6, 2026
- [4] South Carolina's 6th Congressional District 2026: Clyburn vs. Peterson | ChamberLight(opens in a new tab) Sep 28, 2026
- [5] What It Would Take for John Peterson to Win SC-06 in 2026(opens in a new tab) Sep 27, 2026
- [6] John Peterson for SC-6(opens in a new tab) May 30, 2026