South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has secured the Republican nomination for governor, positioning him to compete against Democratic state Representative Jermaine Johnson in the general election. Wilson won the Republican primary runoff against Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette, receiving 65.8% of the votes compared to Evette's 34.2%, according to the Associated Press.
Wilson's victory follows a previous primary where Evette, endorsed by former President Donald Trump, had defeated him by 2.7 percentage points. After the general primary, Wilson gained momentum with endorsements from Trump and other Republican representatives, leading to a polling advantage over Evette.
In the runoff, Wilson and Evette engaged in a heated debate, discussing issues such as gambling in South Carolina. Wilson opposed the introduction of casinos, while Evette advocated for a public vote on the matter. Both candidates shared similar platforms, supporting the Trump administration's agenda and proposing to eliminate the state's income tax.
Wilson will face Johnson in the general election scheduled for November 3. South Carolina has not elected a Democratic governor since Jim Hodges left office in 2003.