Evette, backed by Trump, and Wilson face SC runoff

Evette and – South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, backed by President Donald Trump, and Attorney General Alan Wilson will meet in a gubernatorial primary runoff in two weeks after neither won a majority in the first round. The matchup tees up a test of who can consolidat

Columbia, S.C. was still digesting an election-night division when it became clear the Republican gubernatorial primary would not settle in the first round.

South Carolina Republicans Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, backed by President Trump, and Attorney General Alan Wilson are headed into a gubernatorial primary runoff in two weeks after neither secured enough votes for a majority, a race call determined. The runoff is scheduled for June 23.

Evette’s political rise has been closely tied to Henry McMaster’s orbit. In 2017, Gov. Henry McMaster plucked Evette out of relative obscurity to be his 2018 running mate, a decision that launched her political career. Her name recognition grew alongside the governor’s network and endorsement—and later, Trump’s.

Trump publicly backed Evette on May 29. posting on Truth Social: “Pam has my Complete and Total Endorsement — SHE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!” In that endorsement. Trump also alluded to the possibility that McMaster’s son. Henry D. McMaster Jr., could be Evette’s running mate. The mention ignited attacks from her rivals, who called it a backroom deal. Evette and Henry D. McMaster Jr. deny that she has tapped him so far.

Wilson enters the runoff with his own form of prominence—one sharpened on the national stage. He was first elected state attorney general in 2010 and has been reelected three times. Alongside his law-enforcement work. he also serves as a Colonel in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps for the South Carolina Army National Guard. and he is the son of 2nd District Congressman Joe Wilson.

Wilson’s tenure has drawn attention for his office’s role in the 2023 trial of Alex Murdaugh. Wilson gained national notoriety through that prosecution, including Murdaugh’s double murder conviction. But the state Supreme Court overturned the conviction in May. citing jury tampering by Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill. The case is set to be retried in the coming months.

For voters searching for a sharp contrast between the two men and women on the ballot, the differences may feel thinner than the politics around them. There isn’t much light between Evette and Wilson when it comes to policy.

Neither candidate says they want to restrict abortion access further in the state beyond the current six-week law on the books—a position polling bears out. Both also say they want to make government more efficient through audits. and both are looking to eliminate the state’s 5.21% personal income tax. which has been gradually reduced.

The runoff was expected after a five-way contest left no clear winner with a majority. Evette and Wilson—both statewide elected officials—represented more mainstream ideological stances in a field that included Republicans further to the right. such as 1st District Congresswoman Nancy Mace. 5th District Congressman Ralph Norman. and Lowcountry businessman rounded out the field. On the Democratic side, three candidates are vying for their party’s nomination: Columbia state Rep. Jermaine Johnson, Charleston lawyer Mullins McLeod, and Greenville businessman Billy Webster.

What happened inside the broader electoral landscape helped set the stage for this matchup. A record number of South Carolinians voted early over the last two weeks—a period that began just as the Republican-controlled state Senate shot down a new congressional map. Trump and other Republicans sought to flip the 6th District. the sole Democratic-held seat in the state held by Congressman Jim Clyburn. Concerns over voter disenfranchisement and the rushed redistricting process led to the effort’s failure.

South Carolina has open primaries, so voters can choose whether to vote in the Democratic or Republican race.

With the June 23 runoff approaching. the question now is less about where Evette and Wilson stand on policy—and more about whether Trump’s endorsement machinery. Evette’s link to McMaster’s political network. and Wilson’s high-profile statewide record can translate into a decisive majority in two weeks.

Pamela Evette Alan Wilson South Carolina governor primary runoff Donald Trump Truth Social endorsement Henry McMaster Henry D. McMaster Jr. Alex Murdaugh trial Becky Hill jury tampering 5.21% personal income tax six-week abortion law Jim Clyburn congressional map