Attorney General Alan Wilson wins runoff in South Carolina GOP gubernatorial primary, CBS News projects

State Attorney General Alan Wilson will face off against Democratic state Rep. Jermaine Johnson in November’s race for South Carolina governor, as Republicans look to hold onto the governor’s office in a reliably red state.

CBS News projects Wilson won the Republican runoff in South Carolina on Tuesday night, defeating Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette. The contest went to a runoff after no candidate secured 50% of the vote in last month’s primary, where seven other candidates, including Reps. Ralph Norman and Nancy Mace and coastal businessman Rom Reddy, were eliminated.

Wilson has served as South Carolina’s attorney general since 2010, making him the longest-serving person to hold that role in history. He secured 26.2% in the initial primary, narrowly trailing Evette’s 28.9%. Along with a lengthy history as AG, Wilson also serves as a colonel in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps for the South Carolina Army National Guard. He is also known for his work on the Alex Murdaugh trial.

Tuesday’s victory came despite an earlier endorsement in May for Evette from President Trump, who called her “good friend, fighter, and WINNER.” Gov. Henry McMaster, who launched Evette’s political career by selecting her as his running mate in 2018, also backed her in the runoff.

But then last week, Mr. Trump endorsed both candidates in the runoff, writing: “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!” 

That second endorsement came after Wilson picked up momentum in the polls, and after Mr. Trump’s endorsements in two other gubernatorial primaries did not result in wins. 

Wilson also drew support from Mace, who endorsed him after conceding in the primary. Mace, who had her own fraught relationship with Mr. Trump, may have given Wilson credibility with voters skeptical of the president’s grip on the state party.

With the runoff settled, Republicans now turn their attention to November, where Wilson is considered a heavy favorite in a state that has not elected a Democratic governor since 1998. He will face Johnson, who won the Democratic primary, in the general election on Nov. 3.