Democrat · South Carolina's 2nd District · 2026
Zyon Khalifa
Khalifa spent part of his teenage years in foster care before running track at the University of South Carolina.
Biography
Zyon Khalifa worked part time as a mechanic while running track at the University of South Carolina and serving in the Air Force Reserve.1 His athletic life also included football, wrestling, golf and fencing at Silver Bluff High School.1
An Aiken County native who spent part of his teenage years in foster care, Khalifa joined the Reserve in 2020 as a transportation logistics specialist.1 He earned a business administration degree in 2023 and a law degree from Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge in May 2026, according to his campaign biography, which also describes work with a local public defender's office.1
He has worked as a legal assistant at the Robinson Law Firm, whose biography describes his Bridge the Gap initiative connecting law students with children in underserved communities for mentoring.2 His campaign also lists experience with the ACLU of Colorado and the Alliance for Children's Rights.1
Khalifa proposes a higher minimum wage, grants and loans for small businesses, expanded mental health services and more investment in rural roads and bridges.3 At the October debate, he called for additional immigration judges, due process protections and restored Pell Grant funding.4 He faces Republican Joe Wilson and Workers Party candidate Dayna Alane Smith.5