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South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has won the Republican runoff election for governor, defeating Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette. The race was marked by a rare dual endorsement from President Donald Trump, who initially backed Evette but later endorsed both candidates. Source: ground-news; AP News
Wilson and Evette faced off after no candidate secured a majority in the June 9 primary. Trump's initial endorsement of Evette gave her an edge, but as Wilson gained momentum, Trump issued a joint endorsement, saying he would support both. This confused voters, as Trump's backing has been decisive in many primaries. Source: AP News
The campaign became contentious, with a single debate devolving into shouting matches. Wilson criticized Evette for skipping prior debates, while Evette painted Wilson as a career politician and reminded voters of Trump's initial support for her. Source: AP News
Both candidates sought to claim the dual endorsement as a win. Sen. Tim Scott backed Wilson, helping raise funds and lobbying Trump. Evette also had support from outgoing Gov. Henry McMaster. The race highlighted the influence of Trump's endorsement, though his choices in Iowa and Georgia had recently fallen short. Source: AP News
Wilson's victory positions him as the GOP nominee in the general election, with the dual endorsement likely bolstering his support from Trump's base. Source: ground-news
“South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has won the GOP runoff election for governor, defeating the candidate President Donald Trump had initially backed.”
“President Donald Trump initially endorsed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette over Alan Wilson. After neither won a majority on June 9, Trump later endorsed both candidates.”
“Wilson went after Evette for skipping previous debates and accused her of lying about signing legislation that Gov. Henry McMaster had actually inked. Evette, meanwhile, hammered the longtime prosecutor for being a 'career politician' and reminded voters Trump had backed her, not him.”