Every election cycle, members ask how the South Carolina Fraternal Order of Police decides whether to endorse a candidate. Some believe endorsements are made by the State President. Others assume they are based on political party or personal relationships. Neither is true.
The SCFOP endorsement process is designed to be fair, transparent, and driven by the membership. Every qualifying candidate is given the same opportunity to participate, every endorsement follows an established procedure, and no endorsement is issued without a vote of the Board of Directors.
YOUR LODGE. YOUR VOICE.
Before the Board Votes
✓ Attend your local lodge meeting.
✓ Review the candidate questionnaires.
✓ Participate in the discussion.
✓ Share your perspective with your lodge leadership.
April 22, 2026: The Board of Directors votes on statewide endorsements.
Member participation strengthens every endorsement.
Different Offices, Different Processes
The Fraternal Order of Police is organized at the local, state, and national levels. Because of that structure, endorsement authority differs depending on the office being sought.
President of the United States
Endorsements for President are conducted by the National Fraternal Order of Police with input from state lodges across the country. The South Carolina Fraternal Order of Police participates in that process, but the final endorsement is made at the national level.
Governor and Attorney General
Endorsements for Governor and Attorney General are the responsibility of the South Carolina Fraternal Order of Police. These endorsements are determined through a vote of the State Lodge Board of Directors after a thorough evaluation of each qualifying candidate.
United States House of Representatives
Congressional endorsements are conducted through the affected local lodges within each congressional district. Individual lodges do not issue independent endorsements. Instead, participating lodges work together through the established district process to determine whether an endorsement will be made.
The Evaluation Process
For statewide offices, the endorsement process does not begin until the primary election has been decided and the candidates for the general election have been determined. This allows the organization to evaluate the individuals who will actually appear on the general election ballot rather than candidates who are still competing in a primary election.
Each qualifying candidate receives the same opportunity to participate in the process.
Candidates are invited to complete a written questionnaire addressing issues that affect law enforcement officers, public safety, retirement, recruitment, retention, training, officer wellness, and other matters important to the Fraternal Order of Police. Every completed questionnaire is published verbatim so members can review each candidate’s responses. If a candidate chooses not to participate or fails to meet the submission deadline, that fact is also made public.
Candidates who return their questionnaires are invited to participate in an interview with the Statewide Candidate Evaluation Committee. Every interview follows the same general format to ensure fairness and provide equal opportunity for each candidate to discuss their positions and answer questions.
The Evaluation Committee serves only as a fact-finding body. Its responsibility is to gather information, verify publicly available records, summarize interviews, and prepare reports for the Board of Directors. The committee does not recommend candidates and does not decide who should receive an endorsement.
Board of Directors Vote
Once the evaluation process is complete, the information is presented to the SCFOP Board of Directors.
The Board consists of the Executive Board and one representative from each local lodge. These representatives speak for their lodges during the endorsement process, making local participation an important part of every statewide endorsement.
Endorsements are decided by a recorded roll-call vote.
Board members may vote for a candidate, vote that the State Lodge should not endorse anyone, or abstain. A candidate must receive a two-thirds vote of the entire Board of Directors to earn the endorsement.
If no candidate receives the required two-thirds vote on the first ballot, the Board will conduct a runoff between the two candidates who received the most votes. Up to two additional ballots may be held. If neither candidate reaches the two-thirds threshold, the official result will be No Endorsement. If no candidate achieves the required threshold, the official result is No Endorsement.
An endorsement is never automatic. Receiving positive feedback from members, completing the questionnaire, or participating in an interview does not guarantee an endorsement. Likewise, the organization is under no obligation to endorse a candidate in every race.
Integrity and Transparency
The endorsement process is built upon fairness, consistency, and equal treatment.
Every qualifying candidate receives the same questionnaire, the same opportunity to interview, and the same evaluation standards. The information provided to the Board of Directors is based upon candidate responses, interviews, publicly available records, and other verifiable information rather than campaign rhetoric or isolated events.
Once the Board reaches its decision, the State President announces the official endorsement or non-endorsement. Participating candidates are notified directly before the public announcement.
While the final endorsement decision is public, individual lodge votes are not released. This allows Board members to represent their lodges honestly while preserving the integrity of the deliberative process.
Member Participation
The Fraternal Order of Police is a member-driven organization. Every local lodge elects its leadership and selects the representative who serves on the State Lodge Board of Directors.
For that reason, endorsement decisions begin long before the Board convenes to vote.
Local lodge meetings provide members with the opportunity to discuss candidates, review questionnaire responses, share perspectives, and help shape the position their lodge representative will carry to the Board of Directors.
The statewide endorsement vote for Governor and Attorney General will take place during the Board of Directors meeting on April 22, 2026.
Every member is encouraged to attend their local lodge meetings in the weeks leading up to that meeting. Your participation helps ensure that your lodge’s representative reflects the views of the membership and that every endorsement issued by the South Carolina Fraternal Order of Police remains a true reflection of the organization as a whole.
Political endorsements are among the most important decisions made by the Fraternal Order of Police. By following a consistent process that values fairness, transparency, and member participation, the South Carolina Fraternal Order of Police remains focused on a single objective: identifying the candidates who will best support law enforcement officers, strengthen public safety, and serve the citizens of South Carolina.
