South Carolina’s Lt. Governor Pamela Evette and Attorney General Alan Wilson are moving on to the Republican gubernatorial runoff on June 23. They are the two top vote-getters in South Carolina’s Republican primary for governor.
The Trump magic did the trick. President Donald Trump’s endorsement put Wilson at the top — but not by much. Evette was gaining 29% of the vote with 77% reporting, and Wilson was just behind her at 26%. Other candidates were much farther behind, with U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman and businessman Rom Reddy at 17% and 15%, and U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace trailing at 11%.
Former S.C. State Senator Katrina Shealy said on WIS-TV 10 (NBC) during election night coverage: "The Trump endorsement has helped her, but I don't think it's helped as much as it would have four years ago”
Alan Wilson comes out to address the crowd after a rousing speech by Mike Reichenbach.
— Nick Reynolds (@IAmNickReynolds) June 10, 2026
We are headed to a runoff, folks! pic.twitter.com/Vqbibd08iD
Evette, of course, will be hoping for additional support from President Trump. The president came into the state to help outgoing Governor Henry McMaster campaign, and he won. Evette is hoping for that same level of attention.
Evette and Wilson will face each other in a debate on June 16, sponsored by the S.C. Republican Party. Evette famously skipped the last debate, preferring to campaign, but confirmed earlier this month that she will attend the runoff debate at Coastal Carolina University in Conway.
U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace conceded before 9 p.m. on election night. She was lagging far behind in the results, showing at only 11% when she finally threw in the towel. A maverick to the end, Mace announced she would throw her support behind Wilson — not the Trump-endorsed Evette.
AG Alan Wilson thanked Nancy Mace for her endorsement and invited supporters of her, Rom Reddy and Ralph Norman to join his campaign @wsoctv pic.twitter.com/Eo5zy3Zegs
— Joe Bruno (@JoeBrunoWSOC9) June 10, 2026
Graham Cruises to Victory
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) won the primary in a landslide, wiping out his nearest competition. Decision Desk HQ called the race shortly after 8 p.m., when only 35% of the vote had been counted.
By 2027, when his current term ends, he will have served 24 years in the Senate since his 2002 election. Should he win in November this year — and the smart money says he will — he will begin his fifth term in the Senate.
The overwhelming advantages of incumbency, both in name recognition and campaign war chest, make it nearly impossible to dislodge an incumbent once they are in place.
New Generation Rising
On the Democratic side in the governor’s race, it was a generational contest. State Rep. Jermaine Johnson, 40, won so convincingly (with 58% of the vote at 62% of votes cast) that there was no need for a runoff against his top competitor, Greenville, S.C., businessman Billy Webster, 68. In fact, Decision Desk HQ called the race for him at 8:29 p.m.
Johnson is a former professional basketball player in the NBA D-League and played internationally. After six years playing, he returned home to found a nonprofit, the New Economic Beginnings Foundation.
When he went into S.C. politics in 2000, he defeated a 22-year incumbent to win his seat. At 35, Johnson was the youngest person to win a seat in his district. Now, as the Democrat nominee for governor, he is the first black nominee for that position since 1990.
His opponent, Webster, represents an older generation working its way out of S.C. politics. Webster is a former White House fellow under George H.W. Bush and later served as chief of staff to secretary of education Dick Riley and director of scheduling and advance for President Clinton. Webster famously met Bill Clinton when they were the only two who showed up for a 6:30 a.m. beach run at Hilton Head Island during a Renaissance Weekend.
Shealy noted that at one point Johnson considered getting out of the race, especially when Webster entered. But the buzz around Johnson caught fire, particularly when the S.C. State Senate began debating redistricting.
Looking ahead to the November race, Shealy said, “I think he is a moderate Democrat—I think that’s what people may be looking for.”
This writer disagrees. Even though Johnson represents a new generation of Democrats in South Carolina, he will face an uphill battle in this still quite red state.
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