President Donald Trump has issued a dual endorsement for Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Attorney General Alan Wilson in the South Carolina GOP primary runoff scheduled for Tuesday. This decision follows recent losses for Trump-backed candidates in gubernatorial races, prompting a strategic approach to ensure support for both candidates.
Trump's endorsements come after his previous backing of candidates in Georgia and Iowa resulted in defeats, raising questions about his influence in gubernatorial races compared to Senate races. In the South Carolina primary, Evette led with 28.9% of the vote, while Wilson received 26.1%. Since then, Wilson has gained a lead in the runoff.
Trump stated he could not choose between the two candidates, describing them as "highly respected" and emphasizing that a vote for either would benefit the state. Both candidates have strong ties to the Republican Party and have positioned themselves as allies of Trump. The winner of this runoff will face Democrat Jermaine Johnson in the November election, with the Republican nomination being crucial in a state that has not elected a Democrat for governor since the 1990s.