South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson won the Republican runoff for governor on Tuesday night, securing a victory for former President Donald Trump’s endorsement strategy. The Associated Press called the race shortly after polls closed, with Wilson leading Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette by a significant margin.
Wilson, who has served as the state's attorney general since 2011, was on the ballot against Evette, who was the sitting lieutenant governor. Governor Henry McMaster, who is term-limited, had backed Evette.
Trump initially endorsed Evette in late May, citing her early support for his 2024 presidential campaign. However, as polling suggested Wilson was poised to win the runoff, Trump issued a dual endorsement on Friday, supporting both candidates to mitigate potential losses. "With either one you can’t go wrong," Trump stated.
This situation follows recent instances where Trump-backed candidates did not win their races. In Georgia's gubernatorial election, voters chose Rick Jackson over the Trump-endorsed Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones. Earlier in Iowa, Zach Lahn, associated with the Make America Healthy Again movement, defeated Trump's preferred candidate, Randy Feenstra, in the governor's race. Trump's decision to endorse both candidates in South Carolina aimed to avoid a similar outcome.
Since the June 9 primary, where Evette received 28.9 percent of the vote and Wilson garnered 26.1 percent, two other gubernatorial hopefuls had pledged their support to Wilson. Representative Nancy Mace, who came in fifth with 12.1 percent in the primary, endorsed Wilson. Mace has had a publicly strained relationship with Trump. Representative Ralph Norman, who placed third with 17.1 percent and had initially backed Nikki Haley's presidential campaign, also endorsed Wilson, describing him as a "battle-tested conservative."
Polling in the days leading up to the runoff indicated Wilson held a substantial lead. An Insider Advantage survey conducted June 19-20 found 61 percent of likely voters favored Wilson, while 29 percent supported Evette. Wilson's campaign cited a strong grassroots and get-out-the-vote operation, focusing on a positive campaign and building a broad coalition.
Democrats selected Jermaine Johnson in their primary without a runoff. South Carolina has not elected a Democratic governor since 1998.
