Joe Wilson
Republican congressman for South Carolina's 2nd District since 2001, facing an automatic recount in 2026.
Wilson's margin over Democrat Zyon Khalifa in South Carolina's 2nd District is 2,926 of 296,664 votes cast (0.986%), under the state's 1% recount threshold, so the State Election Commission opened an automatic recount by 10 November.
Last refreshed: 11 November 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Can a recount overturn Joe Wilson's 2,926-vote lead?
Timeline for Joe Wilson
Led by 2,926 votes inside the recount line
US Midterms 2026: SC recounts Joe Wilson's 2nd DistrictBackground
Wilson has represented South Carolina's 2nd District since a December 2001 special election. The district covers Lexington, Aiken and Barnwell counties and parts of Richland and Orangeburg. In 2009 he shouted "You lie!" at President Barack Obama during an address to Congress.
His 2026 lead over Khalifa stands at 2,926 votes, a 0.986% share of the 296,664 counted and just short of South Carolina's 1% line. The State Election Commission opened an automatic recount, alongside recounts in two state House seats. Khalifa said the race was not over and that his campaign would continue through the recount, ABC News 4 reported.
Forecasters rated the seat safe Republican before the election, so a sub-1% margin shows how far the 2026 swing reached. Recounts rarely move a lead of that size: FairVote's study of statewide recounts from 2000 to 2023 found an average shift of 551 votes.
Reference
Who ran against Joe Wilson in 2026?
How long has Joe Wilson been in Congress?
Is there a recount in Joe Wilson's race?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 11 November 2026. Editorial standards.