In the closely contested South Carolina Republican gubernatorial runoff, former President Donald Trump is considering endorsing both candidates vying for the nomination, a departure from his usual practice of backing a single contender. The June 23 runoff features Lieutenant Governor Pam Evette, who secured the top spot in the first round of the primary last week, against Attorney General Alan Wilson.
Trump’s initial endorsement went to Evette shortly before the first-round vote, following months of campaigning for his support. Evette’s backers highlight her early endorsement of Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and her alliance with Governor Henry McMaster, who also supports her bid. However, despite Trump’s backing, the runoff race remains highly competitive, with internal polling from both campaigns reportedly showing Wilson holding a slight edge.
People familiar with Trump’s deliberations acknowledged that the narrow margin has led his team to monitor the race closely. While no final decision has been made, insider accounts indicate that Trump might repeat a strategy he has used previously—endorsing both runoff candidates to safeguard his influence regardless of the outcome.
The potential dual endorsement underscores broader challenges Trump faces in leveraging his political sway. Recent Republican primaries, including a loss in Iowa’s gubernatorial race and controversy surrounding his initial support for Senator John Cornyn in Texas, have exposed fissures within conservative ranks. In Iowa, Trump’s late endorsement of Representative Randy Feenstra failed to deliver victory, prompting Trump to suggest he lacked sufficient information when making that call. Meanwhile, in Texas, Trump reversed his endorsement from Cornyn to Attorney General Ken Paxton under pressure from conservative activists.
In South Carolina, some GOP activists have criticized Evette as an establishment figure, partly due to her Ohio origins and her alignment with McMaster’s administration. They argue her nomination would represent continuity rather than change, fueling support for Wilson among certain conservative circles. This sentiment is reflected in endorsements from prominent state Republicans such as Representatives Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman, both eliminated in the first round but now backing Wilson. Norman, who is vacating his congressional seat, cited concerns about entrenched political networks and what he described as efforts to prevent South Carolina from shifting toward a less conservative electorate.
State Senator Wes Climer, the Trump-backed candidate in South Carolina’s 5th Congressional District, also publicly supported Wilson, as did members of the state legislature’s Freedom Caucus. Climer characterized the runoff as a pivotal moment for conservative renewal in Columbia.
Evette and Wilson are scheduled to participate in a single debate Tuesday night before early voting begins Wednesday. The winner of the runoff will face Democrat Jermaine Johnson in the November general election. Democrats have not won the governor’s office in South Carolina since 1998, making the GOP nominee the clear favorite in the state’s strongly Republican political landscape.