Trump-backed Evette and Wilson advance to South Carolina GOP governor runoff

South Carolina's lieutenant governor, Pamela Evette, and Attorney General Alan Wilson are heading to a runoff election for the Republican nomination in the state's gubernatorial race. Both candidates sought and received Donald Trump's backing, highlighting the former president's continued influence in Republican primaries.

The outcome signals a significant setback for Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace, who finished in fifth place. Mace stated that her support for releasing the Epstein files contributed to her loss. "As a survivor, I chose to stand on principle and stand against the Epstein cover-up," she said in a statement. "I chose to expose the names hidden in the sexual harassment slush fund. I chose to expose DEI judges. I chose to expose the abusers of children. And apparently, I chose wrong if the goal was winning an election."

The winner of the Republican primary is widely expected to win the general election in conservative-leaning South Carolina. They will face Democratic state Representative Jermaine Johnson, a former professional basketball player, who secured broad party endorsements before winning his primary. South Carolina's election laws changed in 2012, requiring the governor and lieutenant governor to run on the same ticket in the general election. Evette was previously chosen as the running mate for outgoing Governor Henry McMaster in 2018.

Evette, an entrepreneur, built her HR and accounting software company, Quality Business Solutions, into a billion-dollar revenue business before entering politics. She led the field in fundraising, amassing approximately $3.5 million, including $1 million of her own funds. Wilson, who has served as attorney general since 2011, is a reserve colonel in the National Guard's judge advocate general corps and the adopted son of longtime Republican U.S. Representative Joe Wilson. Other defeated candidates included U.S. Representative Ralph Norman and former ExxonMobil executive Rom Reddy.

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I voted to release the Epstein files and lost some support for that. As a survivor, I chose to stand on principle and stand against the Epstein cover-up. I chose to expose the names hidden in the sexual harassment slush fund. I chose to expose DEI judges. I chose to expose the abusers of children. And apparently, I chose wrong if the goal was winning an election.