South Carolina Republicans handed Republican Attorney General Alan Wilson a victory over Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette in the Tuesday’s high-stakes gubernatorial runoff.
Wilson’s win positions him to become the frontrunner to replace term-limited GOP Gov. Henry McMaster in the ruby-red state. (RELATED: Nancy Mace Concedes South Carolina Gubernatorial Primary After Failing To Gain Trump’s Support)
NBC News called the election shortly after polls closed. With 8% of the vote counted, Wilson led Evette 65.5% to 34.5%.
Wilson’s win caps months of intense campaigning in a race that exposed divisions within South Carolina’s GOP establishment and became a proxy battle over the party’s future direction.
PAM EVETTE: “I’m very much different than Governor McMaster…I have a little bit different style…I’m a bit more bullish…” @PamelaEvette #scpol #scgov pic.twitter.com/cv9AuVwkqM
— Jackson Gosnell (@jacksongosnell) June 23, 2026
President Donald Trump initially threw his support behind South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, giving her his “Complete and Total Endorsement” in a Truth Social post on May 29 ahead of the state’s crowded Republican gubernatorial primary.
Trump praised Evette as a loyal ally and early supporter of his political movement, and the endorsement was widely viewed as a major boost to her campaign. Evette went on to finish first in the June 9 primary, winning 28.9% of the vote to Wilson’s 26.1% and soundly defeating headline-grabbing Rep. Nancy Mace, who finished fifth. (RELATED: Trump Endorses Against GOP Congresswoman Who Defied Him On Epstein Files)
But just weeks later, Trump shifted course. On Friday, ahead of the June 23 runoff, he announced that he would endorse both Evette and Wilson, calling the two Republicans “MAGA and America First all the way.”
Alan Wilson: “If you’re gonna be a leader, you gotta own it all.” @AGAlanWilson pic.twitter.com/MW7OROOH2j
— Jackson Gosnell (@jacksongosnell) June 23, 2026
In the Truth Social post, Trump said he could not bring himself to hurt one candidate by endorsing the other, writing that South Carolina Republicans could not go wrong with either choice.
The unusual move effectively muddied what had previously been a clear endorsement.
While Evette continued to tout Trump’s backing as a key asset, Wilson immediately claimed Trump’s support as well, leaving Republican voters with the rare scenario of choosing between two candidates both carrying the president’s endorsement into the runoff. (RELATED: South Carolina HOA Suddenly Decides To Ban Residents From Carrying Guns In ‘Shared Spaces’)
It’s Election Day in South Carolina. 🇺🇸
Get out and VOTE for @AGAlanWilson.
Alan is a proven conservative fighter who spent years defending the Constitution as South Carolina’s Attorney General.
He knows what it takes to fight for South Carolina’s families, values, and… pic.twitter.com/yr2ykzxqp8
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) June 23, 2026
Wilson will face Democratic South Carolina State Representative Jermaine Johnson in November’s general election and is heavily favored to win.