Wilson wins GOP nomination for South Carolina governor after Trump hedges his bet on race

By — Meg Kinnard, Associated Press Meg Kinnard, Associated Press By — Jeffrey Collins, Associated Press Jeffrey Collins, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/wilson-wins-gop-nomination-for-south-carolina-governor-after-trump-hedges-his-bet-on-race Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Wilson wins GOP nomination for South Carolina governor after Trump hedges his bet on race Politics Jun 23, 2026 8:27 PM EDT COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson won a runoff election on Tuesday, swiftly routing the candidate initially endorsed by President Donald Trump to be the Republican nominee for governor. READ MORE: Nancy Mace's political career is up in the air after finishing last in South Carolina primary Wilson defeated Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, whom Trump backed in the closing days of the primary campaign. The president later said he supported both candidates, hedging his bets in the race after his candidates for governor lost in Iowa and Georgia earlier this month. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Wilson, the son of longtime U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, has served as the state's top prosecutor since 2011. His victory sets up a November general contest with state Rep. Jermaine Johnson, who won the Democratic nomination outright two weeks ago. As news spread of Wilson's win, scattered whoops went up around the downtown Columbia ballroom, where supporters had only begun to fill in for his Election Night party. Trump at the center of the campaign The Republican primary to succeed Gov. Henry McMaster, who is term-limited, largely centered around candidates' proximity to Trump, with nearly all of the contenders expressing hope of securing his endorsement. That achievement initially went to Evette, 58, who has served alongside McMaster for two terms, in the primary's closing days. Long before that, Evette often featured photos and video of herself with the president in campaign ads and other materials. She also hired a campaign team that includes Trump's longtime pollster Tony Fabrizio. But as Wilson seemed to gain momentum heading into the runoff, Trump on Friday said he was endorsing both candidates, throwing a curveball to voters looking to the president for guidance. Wilson, 52, also boasted support from sheriffs and solicitors across the state, law enforcement officials with whom he works often as South Carolina's top prosecutor. Immediately following Trump's double endorsement on Friday, Wilson began boasting about it, too. Moments after Trump posted on social media, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott said he was also supporting Wilson. A person familiar with the senator's thinking but not authorized to speak publicly said Scott had been making calls in support of Wilson, helping raise money and lobbying Trump to back him as well. On Monday, Sen. Ted Cruz, anoth