Key facts
- South Carolina is holding primary runoff elections Tuesday for governor and several congressional seats.
- The Republican gubernatorial runoff is between Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Attorney General Alan Wilson.
- President Donald Trump endorsed both Evette and Wilson, stating he could not endorse only one.
- Evette narrowly led Wilson in the initial primary, receiving 28.9% of the vote compared to his 26.1%.
- The Republican nominee for governor will face Democratic state Rep. Jermaine Johnson.
- A runoff is also set for the Republican nomination in the 1st Congressional District between Jenny Costa Honeycutt and Mark Smith.
- Democratic finalists for the 1st Congressional District are Mac Deford and Nancy Lacore.
- Polls close at 7 p.m. ET.
- Voters are restricted to voting in the runoff of the same party they voted in during the initial primary.
South Carolina is heading into primary runoff elections Tuesday, with the Republican nomination for governor being a key contest. The race features two prominent state officeholders: Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Attorney General Alan Wilson.
President Donald Trump announced Friday he was endorsing both Evette and Wilson, a move he explained was to avoid harming one candidate by only endorsing the other. Trump had previously endorsed Evette in the initial primary, where she secured 28.9% of the vote, narrowly ahead of Wilson's 26.1%. U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman came in third with 17.1%.
The eventual Republican nominee will face Democratic state Rep. Jermaine Johnson, who won his party's nomination outright. Democrats have not held the governorship in South Carolina since 1998. The winner will succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Henry McMaster and could play a significant role in the early stages of the 2028 presidential race.
In the 1st Congressional District, a runoff is also scheduled for the Republican nomination between Charleston County Councilwoman Jenny Costa Honeycutt and state Rep. Mark Smith. On the Democratic side, former Hilton Head Island general counsel Mac Deford and retired Navy Vice Admiral Nancy Lacore are competing.
Polls are set to close at 7 p.m. ET. South Carolina has approximately 3.4 million registered voters. The state's primary system requires voters to vote in the runoff of the same party they participated in during the June 9 primary, unless they did not vote in the initial primary, in which case they can choose either party's runoff.