Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette secured the coveted endorsement of President Trump just weeks before South Carolina’s Republican gubernatorial primary, but the backing proved insufficient for an outright victory on Tuesday. With the field of contenders splitting the conservative vote, Evette will face state Attorney General Alan Wilson in a June 23 runoff, according to The Associated Press.
The contest sets up a high-profile test of Trump’s political influence in a state that has backed him three times in general elections and embraced his movement early. Yet voters signaled that pocketbook issues — infrastructure strain and rising costs amid rapid population growth — weighed heavier than national loyalty. At Evette’s election-night gathering in Greenville, her pledge to fix roads drew one of the loudest ovations of the evening.
As of Tuesday night, Evette hovered just below 30% of the vote, with Wilson trailing at roughly 26%. Given that South Carolina has not elected a Democratic governor since 2002, the runoff winner is widely expected to succeed term-limited Gov. Henry McMaster in November.
Trump called Evette Tuesday evening, vowing to “fight, and we are going to win this runoff,” a message she relayed to supporters while framing the matchup as a choice between “a Trump-endorsed businesswoman” and a “career politician who won’t take a stand.”
Wilson, for his part, has aggressively courted the MAGA base, featuring a “Trump Tough” section on his campaign website and praising the president at every stop. But Evette leaned harder into the association, frequently circulating photos alongside Trump — leading some voters to believe she had secured his backing before it was formally announced.
The primary field included several prominent names who fell short: U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, whose combative style drew national attention; fellow House member Ralph Norman of the Freedom Caucus; and Rom Reddy, a wealthy political outsider. Reddy declined to endorse either runoff candidate Tuesday night.
Wilson moved quickly to consolidate support, declaring his campaign “your team” and pledging to fight for families. Mace, who had clashed with Wilson earlier in the race, announced she had “buried the hatchet” and endorsed him, calling him the “law-and-order governor” the state needs. She said Wilson asked her to assist his prospective administration on cases involving accused sexual predators — an issue Mace, a trauma survivor, has championed, including pushing for the release of the Epstein files. She suggested her pursuit of those files cost her Trump’s support.
“I chose to expose the abusers of children and, apparently, I chose wrong if the goal was winning an election,” Mace told supporters in Charleston. “I’m at peace with that.”
Evette, an Ohio-born businesswoman, has served as lieutenant governor since 2019 and positioned herself as the natural successor to manage the state’s explosive growth. McMaster endorsed her, and Trump suggested she tap the governor’s son, Henry McMaster Jr., as her running mate — a proposal that sparked accusations of a backroom deal. Evette denied the claims and said she would not select a running mate until after the primary; McMaster Jr. later withdrew from consideration.
Wilson, a National Guard veteran, countered that South Carolinians “aren’t going to vote for someone simply because they were able to orchestrate an endorsement based on a deal.”
The runoff winner will face state Rep. Jermaine Johnson, who captured the Democratic nomination Tuesday, according to the AP.
