Trump endorses both GOP runoff candidates in South Carolina

Campaign Trump endorses both GOP runoff candidates in South Carolina Comments: by Sophie Brams - 06/19/26 7:24 PM ET Comments: Link copied by Sophie Brams - 06/19/26 7:24 PM ET Comments: Link copied

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President Trump on Friday offered a rare dual endorsement for both Republican contenders in the race for South Carolina governor, an unexpected twist that comes just days before voters are set to return to the polls for a runoff.

Trump initially put his full support behind the Palmetto State’s Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette for the GOP nomination, hailing her less than a month ago as someone who had been with him from the “very beginning” and “never wavered.”

Evette finished first in the early June primary election with 29 percent of the vote, but it was not enough to help her avoid a runoff with longtime state Attorney General Alan Wilson, who came in a close second.

Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Friday that he was “hoping” those two would advance and announced that he would now also support Wilson for the nomination.

“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!” he wrote. “It’s a Wealth of Riches – With either one you can’t go wrong.”

The crowded Republican field, which also included Reps. Ralph Norman (S.C.) and Nancy Mace (S.C.), had spent more than a year jockeying for the president’s coveted nod — even before officially announcing their campaigns.

Wilson traveled to Manhattan in the spring of 2024 to show his support for Trump during his “hush money” criminal trial, and Evette was among the state dignitaries onstage when Trump declared victory in the 2024 GOP presidential primary in South Carolina.

The pair have kept up the praise throughout their campaigns, taking any opportunity to highlight their ties to the president as proof of their MAGA bona fides.

That held in their responses to Trump’s double-backing on Friday.

Evette wrote in a post on the social platform X that she was “proud to come in first” as the president’s pick for governor, and Wilson said in a statement that he was “deeply honored.”

“I’ve proudly stood with President Trump from the very beginning, defended when others would not, and fought alongside him against the Radical Left,” Wilson added. “I look forward to working with him as Governor to continue delivering conservative victories for the people of this state.”

Shortly after Trump’s endorsement landed, the attorney general also picked up support from South Carolina’s junior senator, Tim Scott (R).

“I’m proud to endorse Alan for Governor because he will lead with humility, courage, and an optimistic vision for our state,” Scott said in a statement shared by Wilson’s campaign, calling him a “man of deep faith, strong character, and unwavering conviction.”

Trump’s switch-up in the Palmetto State comes as some of his preferred picks for statewide offices across the country have fallen short, including most recently in neighboring Georgia.

Healthcare executive and billionaire Rick Jackson defeated Trump-backed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones (R) in the Peach State’s gubernatorial primary earlier this week.