Josh Kimbrell
Josh Kimbrell | |
|---|---|
| Member of the South Carolina Senate from the 11th district | |
| Assumed office November 9, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Glenn G. Reese |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Joshua Brett Kimbrell December 18, 1984 Spartanburg, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Liliya Kimbrell (m. 2017) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | North Greenville University (BA) Gardner-Webb University |
Joshua Brett Kimbrell (born December 18, 1984) is an American aviation leasing operator and politician. He is also a former Christian talk radio host.
Kimbrell has served as a member of the South Carolina Senate from the 11th District (Spartanburg) since his 2020 election.[1] He is a member of the Republican Party.[2]
Political career
S.C. Senate
In 2020, Kimbrell defeated incumbent Democrat Glenn G. Reese, who had held the seat in the South Carolina Senate's 11th District since 1991.
In June 2021, Kimbrell sponsored a bill in the state senate that would "allow mental health professionals to refuse to provide care that violates their religious beliefs."[3] During the 2022 session, Kimbrell also introduced a budget proviso to ban "prurient" books in children's library sections at public libraries, though some librarians and other lawmakers said the language was too vague to enforce without banning a wide variety of books.[4][5]
2026 gubernatorial campaign
On March 24, 2025, Kimbrell formed an exploratory committee to explore running in the 2026 South Carolina gubernatorial election.[6] He announced his candidacy for governor on June 23, 2025.[7]
Endorsements
Kimbrell supported Florida Governor Ron Desantis in the 2024 Republican Party presidential primaries, traveling with him to Iowa as a surrogate for the campaign.[8][9] When Desantis withdrew from the race and endorsed former President Donald Trump, Kimbrell switched his endorsement to Trump.[10]
Personal life
In October 2014, Kimbrell was arrested and charged with sex crimes against his 3-year-old son.[11] After being held in jail without bail, the charges were dropped due to insufficient evidence in February 2015.[12]
Electoral history
| Year | Office | Type | Party | Main opponent | Party | Votes for Kimbrell | Result | Swing | Ref. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | % | P. | ±% | |||||||||||||
| 2018 | U.S. House of Representatives | Rep. primary | Republican | William Timmons | Republican | 7,465 | 11.13% | 4th | N/A | Lost | N/A | [13] | ||||
| 2020 | S.C. Senate | General | Republican | Glenn G. Reese[a] | Democratic | 26,117 | 55.34% | 1st | N/A | Won | Gain | [14] | ||||
Notes
- ^ Incumbent seeking re-election.
References
- ^ "South Carolina Legislature Online - Member Biography". www.scstatehouse.gov. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
- ^ "South Carolina State Sen. Josh Kimbrell - Biography | LegiStorm". www.legistorm.com. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
- ^ "SC considers extending religious objections to therapists". AP. 21 June 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
- ^ "Library leaders fight proposal on banned books". Post and Courier. 5 May 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
- ^ "SC Senate lawmakers consider cutting off aid to libraries that allow kids access to 'prurient material". News 19. 29 April 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
- ^ Staff, ABC Columbia (2025-03-25). "State senator launches exploratory committee for governor's race". ABC Columbia. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
- ^ Moore, Stephanie (June 23, 2025). "Sen. Josh Kimbrell announces run for SC governor". WYFF. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
- ^ Barton, Tom (December 28, 2023). "Ron DeSantis enlists South Carolina senator to undercut Nikki Haley in Iowa". The Gazette. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
- ^ Contorno, Steve (December 28, 2023). "DeSantis enlists help to make closing case to Iowans – and to undercut Haley in the Hawkeye State". CNN. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
- ^ Shutt, Jennifer (January 21, 2024). "Florida's DeSantis withdraws from Republican presidential race, endorses Trump". South Carolina Daily Gazette. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
- ^ "Christian Talk radio host accused of sex crime against 3-year-old". WYFF. 16 October 2014. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
- ^ Dykes, David. "Solicitor dismisses criminal sexual conduct charge against Upstate radio host". The Greenville News. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
- ^ "2018 Statewide Primaries: U.S. House of Representatives, District 4 - REP". South Carolina Election Commission. 2018-06-21. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
- ^ "2020 Statewide General Election: State Senate, District 11". South Carolina Election Commission. 2021-06-30. Retrieved 2024-07-07.