A week after President Trump’s recent success in the Republican primary ended, his considerable influence is now being tested in South Carolina’s gubernatorial nomination race. Just over a week ago, Trump threw his support behind Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, who is vying to take over from the term-limited Republican Gov. Henry McMaster, a Trump ally.
Evette is competing against several strong contenders in the primary, including South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, Congress members Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman, along with businessman Rom Reddy. Since it’s unlikely any candidate will secure more than 50% of the primary vote, the leading two will advance to a runoff scheduled for June 23.
The impact of Trump’s support has been visible in previous primaries, with his endorsed candidates recently defeating incumbents in Indiana, Louisiana, Kentucky, and Texas—races that garnered national attention.
However, Trump’s last-minute endorsement of Iowa Rep. Randy Feenstra in the race to replace retiring Gov. Kim Reynolds didn’t secure Feenstra a win, despite the timing being coincidental with his endorsement of Evette. Feenstra managed a narrow victory over Zach Rahn, a farmer and former political strategist, who had backing from groups aligned with Trump.
In South Carolina, candidates in the gubernatorial primary have been vocal about their support for Trump and his policies, hoping that it would help them gain favor. After staying mostly neutral for months, Trump endorsed Evette, describing her as an “America First patriot” in his statement. He even participated in a conference call for her campaign just before the primary.
On the day of the primary, Evette showcased Trump’s endorsement again. She mentioned on social media that Trump “needs a strong partner as governor who will deliver on his conservative America First policies.” I think there’s a strong push from her camp to rally support, urging voters to bring their friends and family to vote for her.
Interestingly, Trump also suggested that Evette might select Henry McMaster Jr., the governor’s son, as her running mate. This comment stirred up some controversy in local politics, with speculation that the younger McMaster may be a political pawn. For context, Nikki Haley, former U.N. ambassador under Trump, was noted for trying to elevate her son’s political prospects.
Despite the buzz, both McMaster and Evette have denied any pre-arranged deals or pressure, emphasizing that the name of Evette’s running mate will remain undisclosed until after the primary.
Recently, Henry McMaster Jr. withdrew his name from consideration, expressing that it was “incredibly humbling” to be mentioned but claiming that now is just not the right time for him.
Dave Wilson, a seasoned political strategist in South Carolina, remarked that he believes Evette’s reliance on Trump’s support may have backfired, noting that her polling improvements were not as substantial as anticipated. He mentioned, “In South Carolina, we don’t really like Washington trying to tell us what to do.”
