South Carolina State House District 118

Current seat holder: William G. "Bill" Herbkersman.

Bernie Scolaro

Bernie Scolaro is a Democratic candidate for the South Carolina House of Representatives in District 118 (BEAUFORT) on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot. Certified by the South Carolina State Election Commission after filing on March 2026, Bernie Scolaro faces Bill Herbkersman in a race in which William G. "Bill" Herbkersman is the current seat holder covering BEAUFORT.

Campaign site

“I am a retired public school counselor, former president of my local teachers' association, and former school board member. I live in Sun City (Bluffton). I grew up in NY and worked in Iowa.” (Ballotpedia 2026 Candidate Connection Survey)
“I believe in the good of all people and doing good for all people. I was raised on strong values of faith, love and service. I am a strong advocate for civil right protections.” (Ballotpedia 2026 Candidate Connection Survey)
“I am an advocate of public education and the need to recruit and retain quality teachers.” (Ballotpedia 2026 Candidate Connection Survey)

Bill Herbkersman

Bill Herbkersman is an incumbent Republican member of the South Carolina House of Representatives representing House District 118 (BEAUFORT). According to the South Carolina Legislature official member biography, Bill Herbkersman's professional background is listed as Eco-Developer & Redeveloper and education includes Attended University of South Carolina; Jefferson Institute, 1988. In the 126th South Carolina General Assembly, Bill Herbkersman serves on the House Labor, Commerce and Industry, Chairman committee.

Campaign site

“Currently, Bill is focused on work force housing in our community. He is also a big proponent for Technical College of the Lowcountry and University of South Carolina Beaufort. He is working for our elderly, and their families, in championing programs for nursing homes and in-home care with a focus on mental health, especially dementia and Alzheimer's patients.” (Campaign Website)
““It’s a quality area, we deserve the quality of amenities and I’m going to work hard to keep those quality amenities here.”” (Campaign Website)
“"We need more strong Republicans, like Bill, to make America great again!"” (Campaign Website)