A South Carolina primary night sorted the state’s top Republican tickets: Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Attorney General Alan Wilson advanced to a governor runoff, while Sen. Lindsey Graham won his primary outright for a fifth term.
The contests underscored President Donald Trump’s long reach in South Carolina even as national polls show discontent over the economy, according to AP. Trump endorsed Graham early and later backed Evette a week before the first-round vote.
South Carolina primary clears Graham’s path
Graham secured support from Sen. Tim Scott and Gov. Henry McMaster and avoided a runoff. Addressing Trump in his victory speech, Graham said he would help “change this world and change this country.” He has been outspoken in favor of military action against Iran. No Democrat has won a South Carolina Senate seat in decades. Graham will face Charleston pediatrician Annie Andrews in November.
In the governor’s race, U.S. Reps. Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman did not make the runoff. Evette immediately framed Wilson as a “career politician” and promised a contrast on conservative values. Wilson later won the June 23 runoff after Trump hedged and said either Republican would be a good pick, per later AP coverage.
What the South Carolina primary says about Trump’s grip
The Axo read is that Trump still sets the table in South Carolina Republican politics, but his endorsement is no longer automatic insurance once a runoff begins. Evette gained a runoff berth only after Trump’s late blessing. When the president softened his preference, Wilson closed the deal. That pattern matches other 2026 primaries where Trump-backed candidates won some contests and stumbled in others.
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What comes next after the South Carolina primary
Graham enters a general election that Republicans have typically won by double digits. The governor’s race now turns on whether Wilson can unify Trump voters who first backed Evette. Watch fundraising and turnout signals in the deep-red state as both parties look past the primary calendar toward November.