South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, who has the endorsement of President Trump, and state Attorney General Alan Wilson advanced to a June 23 primary runoff in the race for governor.
Evette and Wilson were the top two vote-getters on Tuesday night, but neither secured enough support to avoid a runoff.
JUST IN: Evette, Wilson head to runoff in heated South Carolina GOP governor’s racehttps://t.co/pRCCVHiBhQ
— The Hill (@thehill) June 10, 2026
The Hill has more:
Republican hopefuls crowded into the race to replace outgoing Gov. Henry McMaster (R) as head of the state that’s key to the early presidential nominating calendar. Three Democrats were battling in their own primary across the aisle, but Cook Political Report considers the South Carolina governor’s mansion to be solidly Republican.
South Carolina state Sen. Jermaine Johnson is projected to secure the Democratic nod Tuesday.
Evette and Wilson edged out businessman Rom Reddy and Republican Reps. Ralph Norman and Nancy Mace, among others, in Tuesday’s GOP primary.
Most candidates sought to stress their alignment with President Trump on the campaign trail in the state he won by double digits in 2024, but Evette ultimately snagged his endorsement.
If Evette can go on to win the runoff, it’ll mark another victory for Trump, whose preferred candidates have been largely on a winning streak this cycle.
Evette jumped out to a slight lead as the results poured in.
DDHQ Race Update (est. 31% in): South Carolina Governor Republican Primary
Pamela Evette (R): 38,155 (29.0%)
Alan Wilson (R): 33,444 (25.4%)
Ralph Norman (R): 22,603 (17.2%)
Rom Reddy (R): 22,448 (17.1%)
Nancy Mace (R): 13,768 (10.5%)Follow more results here:… pic.twitter.com/hYkzsGctdX
— Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) June 10, 2026
NBC News shared further:
On Monday, her campaign blasted out a news release headlined “President Trump Doubles Down on his ‘Complete and Total Endorsement” of Evette, pointing to another Truth Social post in which Trump touted his support for the lieutenant governor. Trump also held a tele-rally Monday evening for Evette and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who is up for re-election.
Wilson, the son of Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., has served as the state’s attorney general for more than 15 years and has touted endorsements from local law enforcement as well as his service in the South Carolina National Guard.
“Tonight, South Carolina families sent a clear message: they want a Governor who will fight for their families, lower costs, keep communities safe, and put taxpayers first,” Wilson said in a statement. “Conservatives said this office must be earned, not arranged.”
Evette was joined in the contest by multiple high-ranking South Carolina elected Republicans, including Wilson and Reps. Nancy Mace and Rep. Ralph Norman. Self-funding businessman Rom Reddy also gained steam late in the race.
Earlier in the campaign, Mace looked like she may have an inside track to Trump’s endorsement, enjoying a close relationship with the president. Mace had worked for Trump’s 2016 campaign but after winning her seat in 2020, she turned sharply critical of him following the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol. But in the run-up to Trump’s 2024 re-election bid, Mace returned to the fold as a stalwart ally, boosting him in her state’s presidential primary against former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.