The crowded field of high-profile candidates competing for the nomination left the vote closely divided in polls taken in the weeks leading up to the race.
Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Attorney General Alan Wilson will advance to a runoff election for the Republican gubernatorial primary later this month.
At around 9:00 p.m. ET, The Associated Press projected the race would go to a runoff. The two defeated a crowded field including Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), and businessman Rom Reddy.
At the time the race was called, Evette led with 28.9 percent of the vote, while Wilson trailed closely behind with 26.4 percent of the vote with around 58 percent of the vote counted.
Democratic Party’ pick for the post, meanwhile, is state Rep. Jermaine Johnson, in the November general election.
On the campaign trail, Johnson made a progressive economic pitch to Democrat voters, saying he would focus on boosting public education funding and addressing inequalities in the state.
Evette, an Ohio-born businesswoman, entered the race with both an incumbency advantage and an even more powerful boost—the endorsement of President Donald Trump.
Evette became lieutenant governor in January 2019. Running with the support of Trump and Gov. Henry McMaster—who is term-limited and cannot run again—Evette was seen as the frontrunner in the weeks leading up to the race.
The crowded field of high-profile candidates competing for the nomination left the vote closely divided in polls taken before the race, as some Republicans have doubts about Trump’s pick to lead the state.
In recent weeks, the strength of Trump’s otherwise powerful endorsement in gubernatorial politics had already been tested in Iowa, where political newcomer Zach Lahn defeated Trump-backed Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa) for the Republican nomination in the state.
While Evette led the field in polling, Wilson trailed closely behind. Polls had shown Reddy, Norman, and Mace competing for the No. 3 spot.
Evette’s pitch to voters leaned heavily on the successes of the McMaster administration, which brought economic growth, job creation, and corporate relocations to the state. She vowed to keep the state business-friendly.
By Joseph Lord and Jackson Richman
