I can't hurt one of them by only endorsing the other
In the long arc of American political life, where endorsements are currency and momentum is everything, South Carolina's Republican voters chose experience over incumbency on Tuesday night — selecting Attorney General Alan Wilson to carry their party's banner into November. Wilson's victory over Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette is notable not only for what it says about the state's political landscape, but for what it reveals about the shifting weight of presidential influence: Trump endorsed both candidates, and the race was decided anyway by the people of South Carolina. Wilson, who has served as the state's top law enforcement officer since 2010, will now face Democrat Jermaine Johnson in a general election contest that history suggests is his to lose.
- Wilson entered the runoff as the underdog, having finished second in May's crowded primary — yet he steadily closed the gap as Election Day approached.
- Trump's original endorsement of Evette, paired with Gov. McMaster's backing, gave her a formidable institutional advantage that ultimately proved insufficient.
- In an extraordinary hedge, Trump endorsed both candidates last week — a move that diluted his influence and signaled anxiety about backing another losing gubernatorial candidate.
- Rep. Nancy Mace's post-primary endorsement of Wilson may have carried more practical weight than Trump's split gesture, consolidating voters skeptical of the president's judgment.
- Wilson now enters the general election as a heavy favorite, running in a state that has not sent a Democrat to the governor's mansion since 1998.
Alan Wilson, South Carolina's attorney general for sixteen years, won the Republican gubernatorial runoff Tuesday night, defeating Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and earning the right to face Democrat Jermaine Johnson in November. The victory was striking for what it overcame: a second-place finish in May's seven-candidate primary, and a sitting president's endorsement of his opponent.
Evette had entered the runoff with real advantages. Trump had called her a "good friend, fighter, and WINNER" in May, and Gov. Henry McMaster — who had chosen her as his running mate in 2018 — stood firmly in her corner. Wilson had finished behind her in the initial contest, and the path forward looked narrow.
But the race shifted. As Wilson's polling improved in the weeks before the runoff, Trump made an unusual calculation: rather than hold firm behind Evette, he announced he was endorsing both candidates, unwilling, he said, to hurt one by choosing only the other. It was a hedge that drained the endorsement of its meaning. Wilson won regardless, graciously thanking the president in his victory speech.
Also significant was the support of Rep. Nancy Mace, who had competed in the primary before endorsing Wilson after her elimination. Her backing may have done more to consolidate the field than Trump's split decision.
Wilson brings formidable credentials to the fall campaign — the longest-serving attorney general in state history, a colonel in the Army National Guard's Judge Advocate General's Corps, and a central figure in the prosecution of Alex Murdaugh. He faces Johnson in a state Republicans have governed without interruption since 1998, making him the clear favorite when voters return to the polls on November 3rd.
Alan Wilson, South Carolina's attorney general for the past sixteen years, won the Republican gubernatorial runoff on Tuesday night, defeating Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette in a race that will send him to face Democrat Jermaine Johnson in November. The victory was notable for one reason above all: it happened despite President Trump's endorsement of his opponent—and then, bewilderingly, Trump's endorsement of Wilson too.
Wilson had entered the primary season as the underdog. In May's initial contest, where seven candidates competed for the Republican nomination, he finished second with 26.2 percent of the vote. Evette edged him out at 28.9 percent. That result triggered a runoff, and it was Evette who seemed to have momentum. Trump had publicly backed her in May, calling her a "good friend, fighter, and WINNER." Gov. Henry McMaster, who had selected Evette as his running mate in 2018, also threw his weight behind her.
But something shifted in the weeks leading up to Tuesday's runoff. Wilson's polling numbers improved. And Trump, perhaps sensing the direction of the race—or perhaps stung by recent endorsement failures in other gubernatorial contests—made an unusual move. Last week, he announced he was endorsing both candidates. "I can't hurt one of them by only endorsing the other," Trump wrote, "so, therefore, I am going to endorse, for Governor of South Carolina, both Pam Evette and Alan Wilson!" It was a hedge, a split decision, a way of claiming victory no matter the outcome.
Wilson won anyway. In his victory speech, he thanked Trump for the endorsement, accepting the gesture without apparent irony. The win was also bolstered by support from Rep. Nancy Mace, who had competed in the primary and then endorsed Wilson after her own elimination. Mace's backing may have mattered more than Trump's dual endorsement; she had her own complicated history with the president, and her support may have signaled to Trump-skeptical voters that Wilson was a credible alternative.
Wilson brings substantial credentials to the general election. He has served as South Carolina's attorney general since 2010, making him the longest-serving person to hold that office in the state's history. He also holds the rank of colonel in the Judge Advocate General's Corps for the South Carolina Army National Guard. He gained additional prominence for his role in the prosecution of Alex Murdaugh, the disgraced South Carolina lawyer whose murder trial captivated national attention.
Now Wilson faces Johnson, a Democratic state representative who won his party's primary, in November's general election. The matchup will take place in a state that has not elected a Democratic governor in nearly three decades. Republicans have held the office since 1998, and Wilson is considered a heavy favorite to continue that streak. The race will be decided on November 3rd.
Notable Quotes
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!— President Trump, explaining his dual endorsement
Wilson said he was honored to receive Trump's endorsement in his victory speech— Alan Wilson
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
How does a candidate lose a primary and then win the runoff?
Wilson didn't lose—he came in second. In a crowded field, that's often enough to make the runoff. But what changed between May and June was momentum. He picked up endorsements, his polling moved, and Trump's earlier bet on Evette started to look like a mistake.
Why would Trump endorse both of them?
Because his endorsements hadn't been working. He'd backed candidates in other gubernatorial races and they'd lost. So when Wilson started gaining ground, Trump found a way to claim credit either way—a hedge dressed up as generosity.
Did the dual endorsement actually help Wilson?
Probably not. What helped him was Nancy Mace's endorsement. She'd run against Trump in the primary and had her own credibility with voters who were tired of Trump's influence. When she backed Wilson, it gave him permission to win without Trump.
So Trump's endorsement was almost irrelevant?
Not irrelevant—but not decisive either. Wilson thanked him anyway. That's politics. You take the endorsement, you move forward.
What happens in November?
Wilson is heavily favored. South Carolina hasn't elected a Democrat governor since 1998. Johnson will run, but the state's lean is too steep. Wilson's real test was the runoff.