Overview
- Gov. Henry McMaster released a video endorsing Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette to succeed him and plans a joint appearance with her in Columbia.
- Trump has not endorsed in the race, though McMaster’s long alignment with him is being read by observers as an advantage for Evette.
- Evette has centered her campaign on loyalty to Trump, hired his longtime pollster Tony Fabrizio, and aired a $1 million ad buy featuring a clip of Trump praising her.
- Rep. Nancy Mace pushed back on X, saying endorsements don’t ‘fix potholes’ and arguing her record delivers results; a separate outlet reported disputed personal allegations from former staff, which she denies.
- The GOP field currently includes Evette, Mace, Rep. Ralph Norman, and Attorney General Alan Wilson, with the primary set for June 9 and a potential runoff two weeks later; the filing deadline is still more than a month away.