The Republican primary for governor in South Carolina has turned into a fiercely competitive battle to replace term-limited Governor Henry McMaster. With no incumbent in the race, a crowded field of prominent GOP figures has emerged, including Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette, Representative Nancy Mace, Attorney General Alan Wilson, and Representative Ralph Norman.
Polling data aggregated by 270toWin shows the race essentially tied: Evette and Mace each hover around 18 percent, Wilson trails slightly at 17 percent, and Norman sits at 15 percent. The winner of the primary is widely expected to become the next governor in the deeply conservative state.
Former President Donald Trump has thrown his weight behind Evette, endorsing her in May and explicitly snubbing Mace. Evette has made her private-sector background a centerpiece of her campaign, arguing that her business experience positions her to tackle the state's pressing challenges.
“You’re going to love the next chapter even better with Pamela Evette as your governor,” she said in an interview. “We have to focus on energy because the industries of tomorrow are going to be using a lot of energy. How do we get our children educated to be the workforce of tomorrow? Who better to tackle these problems than a businessperson who’s done that before?”
Evette has framed her candidacy around continuity, executive know-how, and alignment with the Trump administration. She is also pushing hard on turnout, noting that fewer than 13 percent of eligible voters typically participate in primaries. “Nobody’s going to outwork me in this race,” she said. “I’ll be out there shaking hands, asking for votes, and making sure people support the campaign.”
Mace, meanwhile, has diverged from Trump on military policy, particularly regarding Iran. As a congresswoman from a military family, she has backed efforts to assert congressional war powers and has called for legislative approval before deploying ground troops to Iran. Despite that break, she remains a strong Trump supporter and has clashed with Evette over debates and campaign tactics.
The race has drawn national attention, with some analysts comparing the dynamics to other competitive GOP primaries this cycle, such as the South Dakota governor runoff and the California governor stalemate.
In a parallel contest, Senator Lindsey Graham faces a stiff challenge from within his own party. Five Republicans are vying to unseat him, with businessman Mark Lynch emerging as the most vocal critic. Lynch has branded Graham a “traitor,” citing his conservative voting record of 43 percent and his constitutional voting record of 57 percent, according to Lynch’s analysis. He also accused Graham of funneling money to enemy groups through USAID, saying, “He’s funded al Qaeda and Hamas through USAID … $122 million has gone to NGOs working directly with them.”
Lynch has positioned himself as an anti-establishment insurgent, and polling from 270toWin shows him reaching as high as 36 percent. If no candidate clears 50 percent in the primary, the race will head to a runoff.
The outcome of both races will shape South Carolina’s political landscape for years to come, with the governor’s race likely to be decided by a razor-thin margin.
