TL;DR
- Alan Wilson wins GOP nomination for SC governor.
- Trump endorsed both Wilson and Evette.
- Wilson now favored in general election.
- Democratic candidate Jermaine Johnson won primary.
- SC has elected Republican governors since 2002.
In a political twist that could only be described as a soap opera, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has emerged victorious in the Republican nomination for governor. This victory comes after a nail-biting runoff that featured none other than President Donald Trump endorsing not one, but two candidates. Talk about a plot twist!
Wilson, who was projected as the winner by NBC News on Tuesday, is now gearing up for the general election. This race marks South Carolina’s first open gubernatorial contest since 2010, as the current Republican Governor Henry McMaster is term-limited and can’t run again. Meanwhile, the Democratic side is heating up with Jermaine Johnson snagging the primary win.
In the initial Republican primary held on June 9, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette took the lead with a solid 29% of the votes, while Wilson trailed closely behind with 26%. Both candidates advanced to the runoff, but not without a little drama. Just days before the runoff, Trump took to Truth Social to announce his endorsement of both candidates, stating, “These were the two that I was hoping would get into a Runoff, and they did. I can’t hurt one of them by only endorsing the other, so, therefore, I am going to endorse, for Governor of South Carolina, both Pam Evette and Alan Wilson! It’s a Wealth of Riches — With either one, you can’t go wrong.”
Now, that’s what we call playing both sides! Before Trump’s double endorsement, Wilson had already garnered support from notable figures like Reps. Ralph Norman and Nancy Mace, who had finished third and fifth in the first primary, as well as Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C.
Historically, South Carolina has leaned heavily Republican, having elected GOP governors in every election since 2002, when the last Democratic governor, Jim Hodges, left office. But with Trump’s recent endorsements facing mixed results in other states, the question remains: can Wilson keep the Republican streak alive?
In recent primaries in Iowa and Georgia, Trump-backed candidates faced unexpected defeats, raising eyebrows about the effectiveness of his endorsements. In Iowa, Rep. Randy Feenstra lost to businessman Zach Lahn, and in Georgia, political newcomer Rick Jackson defeated Trump-backed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones.
As the political landscape shifts, all eyes will be on Wilson as he prepares for the general election. Will he ride the wave of Trump’s backing to victory, or will the Democrats finally break the Republican stronghold in South Carolina? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure: this election season is shaping up to be one for the books.
https://www.youtube.com/nbcnews