Alan Wilson wins GOP nomination for South Carolina governor after dual Trump endorsement

BREAKING NEWSJun. 23, 2026, 11:26 PM UTC2026 Election2026 ElectionAlan Wilson wins GOP nomination for South Carolina governor after dual Trump endorsementWilson defeated Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, NBC News projects, after a campaign in which President Donald Trump initially endorsed Evette and then backed Wilson, too.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson.Tracy Glantz / The State / TNS via Getty Images fileShareAdd NBC News to GoogleBy Annelise HansonState Attorney General Alan Wilson has won the Republican nomination for governor of South Carolina, NBC News projected Tuesday, after a closely watched runoff that featured President Donald Trump’s unusual double endorsement of two candidates. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Wilson is now heavily favored heading into the general election in South Carolina’s first open governor’s race since 2010. Republican Gov. Henry McMaster was term-limited and could not seek re-election. Democratic candidate Jermaine Johnson won his primary this month.See live results hereIn the initial June 9 Republican primary, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette finished first with 29% of the votes, while Wilson placed second with 26%, with both advancing to the runoff.Trump had expressed support for Evette less than two weeks ahead of the initial primary. However, he posted on Truth Social a few days before Tuesday’s runoff that he would now endorse both Wilson and Evette.“These were the two that I was hoping would get into a Runoff, and they did. 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! It’s a Wealth of Riches — With either one, you can’t go wrong,” he wrote. Before Trump’s double endorsement, Reps. Ralph Norman and Nancy Mace endorsed Wilson after they finished third and fifth, respectively, in the first primary. Sen. Tim...