What you should know about SC’s fascinating GOP primary for governor | Opinion
South Carolina voters will head to the polls Tuesday to weigh in on one of the most fascinating primary elections in the country.
For the first time in a decade, South Carolina will elect a new governor, and five Republicans are battling for their party’s nomination. The race has been dramatic and, at times, ugly. Here’s what makes it so fascinating, whether you live in South Carolina or not:
It’s a crowded — and tight — field
South Carolina voters will see a lot of familiar names in the Republican primary ballot. There’s Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, who has been in office since 2019. There’s U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, a Freedom Caucus conservative, and U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, who has built a national profile. Also on the ballot are longtime South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson and businessman Rom Reddy. (A sixth candidate, state Sen. Josh Kimbrell, dropped out of the race last week but will still appear on the ballot.)
But perhaps most interesting is the fact that there has not been a clear frontrunner. While Evette, Mace and Wilson have taken turns leading in the polls, the other candidates have remained within striking distance. One recent poll, conducted just a few days ago, illustrates just how close the race is: just 7 percentage points separate the first and fifth place candidates. Evette leads with 19% support, while Norman trails with 12%.
Per state law, the race will go to a runoff if no candidate receives 50% of the vote. Even the most recent polls show a large number of undecided voters, making it even more difficult to predict the outcome when polls close on Tuesday evening.
It will test Trump’s endorsement
All five candidates have highlighted their allegiance to the president and spent most of the cycle clamoring for his endorsement. Trump initially stayed out of the race before endorsing Evette late last month, calling her a “good friend, fighter and WINNER.” That wasn’t exactly surprising, as Evette has served alongside current Gov. Henry McMaster, one of Trump’s earliest supporters. She was also a vocal supporter of Trump’s push to redraw South Carolina’s congressional lines and add another GOP district, though the legislature ultimately rejected that push.
Reports suggest that Trump allies aren’t keen on the idea of Mace being governor, as she has broken with Trump on issues like the release of the Epstein files and, more recently, the Iran war. To a lesser extent, Norman has also strayed from the president on occasion, including by endorsing former Gov. Nikki Haley for president in 2024. He was the only sitting member of Congress to do so.
While Trump’s endorsement has been decisive in several Republican congressional primaries this year, his choice lost in Iowa’s gubernatorial primary last week, so South Carolina’s primary will provide another interesting test.
It will send a message about what GOP voters want
While this primary will determine the decisiveness of Trump’s endorsement, the race isn’t really about him at all. It isn’t really a referendum on ideology, either, as all five candidates are deeply conservative and largely agree on policy. It’s about style and a familiar tension between the “establishment” and those who dare to challenge it.
Candidates like Evette and Wilson, who have held statewide office for years, are the more traditional establishment candidates who draw financial support from wealthier donors. They offer a more collaborative approach to leadership that prioritizes maintaining relationships with the legislature. On the other hand, Mace and Norman are much more brash and aren’t afraid to buck their party or the status quo. And Reddy, whose campaign is completely self-funded, has positioned himself as the “outsider” candidate.
A statewide primary in a state as ruby red as South Carolina is an opportunity to learn where GOP voters really stand. Do they want a party loyalist, or do they favor a more populist candidate? Is it possible to win without the support of party leaders and donors, including the president? The answers to those questions can provide a playbook for future Republican candidates in races across the country.
Deputy Opinion Editor Paige Masten is covering politics and the 2026 elections for The Charlotte Observer and The News & Observer.
