Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Attorney General Alan Wilson will face each other in a runoff for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in South Carolina after neither secured enough votes to win outright in Tuesday's primary.
Evette, who leads in fundraising with approximately 3.5 million dollars including 1 million of her own money, received Trump's endorsement ahead of the primary. Wilson, who has served as attorney general since 2011 and holds the rank of reserve colonel in the National Guard's judge advocate general corps, is also a Trump supporter but did not receive the former president's formal backing.
The result represents a significant loss for U.S. Representative Nancy Mace, who finished fifth in the crowded Republican field. Mace attributed her defeat to her vote in favor of releasing the Epstein files, a position that drew criticism from Trump supporters. "I voted to release the Epstein files and lost some support for that," she said in a statement. "As a survivor, I chose to stand on principle and stand against the Epstein cover-up."
Evette, an entrepreneur who built Quality Business Solutions into a billion-dollar revenue company before entering politics, was selected as the running mate for outgoing Governor Henry McMaster in 2018. Wilson is the adoptive son of longtime Republican U.S. Representative Joe Wilson.
Two other candidates, U.S. Representative Ralph Norman and Rom Reddy, were also defeated in the primary. Norman, described as one of the most conservative members of the House, trailed the top two finishers. Reddy, a former ExxonMobil executive and child of immigrants, entered the race with 5 million dollars of his own money, partly motivated by frustrations over a lengthy dispute with environmental regulators regarding a seawall at his Sea Island property.
The winner of the Republican runoff will face Democrat Jermaine Johnson, a state representative and former professional basketball player from a Columbia-area district, in the general election. Johnson won broad endorsement from Democratic party officials before securing his party's nomination on Tuesday.
South Carolina changed its election process in 2012 so that the governor and lieutenant governor run as a ticket in general elections. Given the state's conservative lean, the Republican nominee is considered the favorite for the general election, though Democrats hope to gain ground across the ballot.
In another closely watched South Carolina contest, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham secured his party's nomination after facing five challengers, the most he has encountered since taking office in 2003. Graham will face Democrat and pediatrician Annie Andrews in November's general election.