South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette advanced to a runoff in the state’s Republican primary for governor after no candidate secured a majority of the vote in Tuesday’s primary election. Evette and Attorney General Alan Wilson will face off on June 23 to determine the GOP nominee in a competitive race to succeed term-limited Gov. Henry McMaster.
Evette, President Donald Trump’s endorsed candidate, ran in a crowded primary field that included U.S. Reps. Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman, businessman Rom Reddy, and Wilson. Because no candidate earned 50 percent of the vote, the two top finishers advanced to the runoff.
Trump endorsed Evette just before the primary, calling her “an America First Patriot who has been with me from the very beginning,” according to The 19th. In doing so, he snubbed Mace, his longtime supporter and occasional adversary. Mace was one of three Republican women who sided with Democrats in a rare rebuke of the Trump administration to force the Department of Justice to release its millions of files connected to Jeffrey Epstein, the late disgraced financier and convicted sex offender.
“That’s the sole reason I didn’t get the endorsement, because I voted to release the Epstein files, and I’m OK with that,” Mace told Politico. “I’ve worked very hard to expose pedophiles, and child rapists, and sex trafficking in my state, and will continue to do it regardless of the outcome of the election.”
Evette, a former businesswoman, ran on her support for Trump and emphasized issues including eliminating the state income tax, election security, and judicial reform. She also had the endorsement of sitting Gov. Henry McMaster. If elected, she would become the state’s second woman governor after former Gov. Nikki Haley.
The Republican nominee will face Rep. Jermaine Johnson, the Democrats’ nominee, in the November general election. The GOP is heavily favored in the deep-red state, which backed Trump by nearly 18 points in the 2024 presidential election.
Sources
- The 19th News — Confirmed Evette and Wilson advanced to runoff, runoff date of June 23, Trump endorsement details, Mace’s Epstein vote and response, background on Evette’s background and policy positions, and Democratic nominee information
- The Washington Post — Confirmed the crowded primary field, lack of majority winner, and general election context
- Politico — Provided Mace’s direct quote about her Epstein vote and lack of Trump endorsement
