Democrat Jermaine Johnson wins South Carolina gubernatorial primary
Jermaine Johnson wins South Carolina Democratic primary; will face GOP runoff winner in general election.
Event / Politics
South Carolina Republican Gubernatorial Primary 2026
South Carolina held its Republican gubernatorial primary on June 10, 2026. Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette placed first with 29.5% and Attorney General Alan Wilson finished second with 26.2%, advancing to a runoff on June 23. On the Democratic side, state Rep. Jermaine Johnson won with 58.4%, setting up a November general election matchup against the Republican nominee.
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2026-08-16 to 2026-11-13 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 10 Jun, 05:36 UTC
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What happened
Pamela Evette focuses campaign on Trump agenda alignment and infrastructure modernization
Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette's campaign centered on aligning South Carolina with the Trump administration's agenda, running the state more frugally, and modernizing the state's infrastructure. She also campaigned on eliminating the state income tax.
Jermaine Johnson wins South Carolina Democratic gubernatorial primary
South Carolina state Rep. Jermaine Johnson won the Democratic gubernatorial primary with approximately 58.4% of the vote, defeating attorney Mullins McLeod and businessman Billy Webster. Johnson will face the Republican nominee from the GOP runoff in the November general election.
Pamela Evette and Alan Wilson advance to runoff in South Carolina Republican gubernatorial primary
Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Attorney General Alan Wilson advanced to a runoff election in South Carolina's Republican gubernatorial primary after neither candidate received the majority of votes needed to win outright. Evette received 29.5% of votes (97,439 votes) while Wilson received 26.2% (86,327 votes) with 65% of votes counted. The runoff is scheduled for June 23.
President Trump endorses Pamela Evette in South Carolina gubernatorial race
President Donald Trump endorsed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette in the South Carolina gubernatorial primary, describing her as an 'America First Patriot' who was the only gubernatorial candidate to endorse him when he launched his 2024 presidential campaign. Trump also called her a 'good friend, fighter, and WINNER' during early voting.
Alan Wilson emphasizes affordability and accountability in South Carolina gubernatorial race
Attorney General Alan Wilson, a 30-year combat veteran, campaigned on securing law and order in South Carolina and making the state more affordable through an economy-driven message. Wilson and Evette both campaigned on eliminating South Carolina's state income tax and running the government more efficiently.
Ralph Norman, Nancy Mace, and Rom Reddy eliminated from South Carolina GOP gubernatorial primary
Rep. Ralph Norman received 16.5% of votes (54,366 votes), businessman Rom Reddy received 14.6% (48,298 votes), and Rep. Nancy Mace received 11.6% (38,262 votes) in the Republican gubernatorial primary. All three were eliminated from advancing to the runoff. Mace conceded and endorsed Wilson, citing her principled stand against the 'Epstein cover-up' in her concession statement.
South Carolina Republican gubernatorial runoff scheduled for June 23
The Republican runoff election between Pamela Evette and Alan Wilson will be held on June 23 to determine which candidate will advance to the November general election to succeed term-limited Gov. Henry McMaster.
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Evette and Wilson set for South Carolina GOP runoff showdown
Evette and Wilson face June 23 runoff in South Carolina GOP gubernatorial race.