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Trump Endorses Both Finalists in South Carolina GOP Governor Runoff

A rare dual endorsement that could show whether President Trump still shapes Republican primary outcomes

South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette speaks at an election night watch party after advancing to a GOP primary runoff in the governor's race on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in Greenville, S.C. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)
FILE - South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson speaks to his staff before a South Carolina Legislative Oversight Committee looking at his office Nov. 5, 2025, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins, File)
Pamela Evette, South Carolina's lieutenant governor and Republican gubernatorial candidate, and South Carolina's Attorney General Alan Wilson.
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Overview

  • President Trump posted on Truth Social on Friday, June 19, praising both Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Attorney General Alan Wilson and saying either would be a good pick in the June 23 runoff.
  • Trump had given Evette a prior, explicit endorsement before the June 9 primary, which left no candidate with a majority and sent Evette and Wilson to the scheduled runoff.
  • Both campaigns publicly welcomed the praise in social posts, with Evette citing her earlier endorsement and Wilson saying he was honored to have the president's support.
  • The move is widely read as hedging his bets after a string of mixed results for his picks in recent statewide GOP contests, making the runoff a test of whether his backing still moves Republican voters.
  • The runoff winner is viewed as the heavy favorite in the general election in reliably red South Carolina, and local figures have already split behind the finalists with Gov. Henry McMaster backing Evette and Republicans Nancy Mace, Ralph Norman and Sen. Ted Cruz endorsing Wilson.