SC Governor Nomination
Alan Wilson Secures South Carolina GOP Gubernatorial Nomination After Runoff Victory
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson won the Republican nomination for governor on June 23, 2026, defeating Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette in a runoff election, according to The State. Wilson, the son of U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson and a four-term attorney general, is now the heavy front-runner to succeed term-limited Gov. Henry McMaster in November.
Wilson will face Democrat Jermaine Johnson, a Richland County state representative, in the general election, Fox Carolina reported. Republicans have held the governor's mansion in South Carolina since 2003, making Wilson the strong favorite heading into November.
Wilson Trailed Evette in Primary but Surged in Runoff
Wilson actually finished second in the June 9 primary. Evette led with 28.86% (136,480 votes) while Wilson took 26.14% (123,643 votes), The State reported. Neither cleared the 50% threshold needed to win outright. Former U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman pulled 17.08% and Rep. Nancy Mace finished last with 12.13%.
The runoff changed the math entirely. Both Norman and Mace endorsed Wilson within days of the primary, WACH reported. That support helped Wilson consolidate voters who had backed the field's more traditional, less combative candidates — roughly 45% of the primary electorate.
Trump's Shifting Endorsements Scrambled the Race
President Trump first endorsed Evette on May 29, giving her his "Complete and Total Endorsement" on Truth Social, according to ABC News 4. That seemed like a decisive blow. But by June 19, Trump reversed course and issued a dual endorsement of both candidates, writing: "With either one you can't go wrong... It's a wealth of riches."
Analysts said Trump's backtrack blunted the power of his original endorsement. Voters in key areas told SC Public Radio they cared more about "character" than Trump's pick. The mudslinging at the June 16 debate at Coastal Carolina University, where both candidates traded "backroom deal" accusations, also hurt Evette's standing.
Wilson Built the Broadest Lawmaker Coalition in the Race
Wilson ended the runoff with endorsements from 50 state lawmakers — 19 state senators and 31 House members — according to The State. That total topped Evette's 30 legislative backers. Notably, Wilson's coalition bridged the hard-line Freedom Caucus and the traditional House GOP caucus, a rare feat in South Carolina politics.
GOP strategist Rob Godfrey said Wilson's win came down to tone and message. "Alan Wilson was authentic, joyful and steady," Godfrey told The State. "He appealed to the broadest base of conservative voters by discussing how to make the state more affordable." Wilson's platform includes eliminating the state income tax and dismantling fentanyl networks.
Democrat Johnson to Target Wilson's Voting Rights Record in November
Jermaine Johnson won the Democratic primary with 59.67% of the vote, according to Fox Carolina. He plans to frame Wilson as "anti-voting" over the attorney general's past legal defenses of restrictive voting policies. Johnson will try to mobilize Democratic voters in urban centers like Charleston and Columbia.
The climb is steep for any Democrat. No Democrat has won a South Carolina governor's race since 1998, The State noted. Wilson enters the general election with a united GOP behind him, a war chest built on roughly 1,500 concentrated in-state donors, and a state that has trended solidly Republican for over two decades.
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