South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson defeated Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette in the Republican gubernatorial runoff on Tuesday, positioning himself as the overwhelming favorite for South Carolina’s next governor in November.
With approximately 19% of votes counted, Wilson secured 59.2% of the vote to Evette’s 40.8%.
Wilson advanced to the runoff after finishing second in the June 9 primary election, while Evette led the field but fell short of achieving a majority to avoid a second round.
The result followed a dramatic campaign finale during which President Donald Trump expanded his earlier endorsement of Evette and announced support for Wilson, telling Republican voters they “can’t go wrong” with either candidate.
Trump’s late endorsement came just days before the runoff and followed a series of endorsements from former rivals and prominent South Carolina Republicans for Wilson.
Wilson, a four-term attorney general, entered the runoff with momentum after multiple polls showed him opening a sizable lead over Evette. He campaigned on his record as the state’s top prosecutor and highlighted his ties to the Trump movement.
Evette, who had the backing of term-limited Governor Henry McMaster and initially secured Trump’s sole endorsement before the primary, sought to present herself as the candidate who would continue the administration’s policies.
Wilson now advances to the November general election against Democrat Jermaine Johnson. With Republicans historically dominating statewide elections in South Carolina for decades, Wilson is the early favorite to succeed Governor McMaster.
