Alan Wilson advances in South Carolina GOP governor race, Trump pick lags
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A week after President Donald Trump’s endorsement streak in high-profile Republican primaries ended, the president’s immense influence over the GOP faces another test in South Carolina.
Trump’s preferred pick for the Palmetto State GOP gubernatorial primary, Lt. Gov. Pamela Akşamte, has clinched one of two tickets in the nomination race; So did South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson.
The two will participate in Republican runoffs in two weeks in the race to replace term-limited GOP Gov. Henry McMaster, the Associated Press reported.
DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UPDATED WITH FOX NEWS ELECTION CENTER
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, accompanied by his family, announced his candidacy for governor on Monday, June 23, 2025. (Tracy Glantz/The State/Tribune News Service)
Since no candidate is expected to receive 50% of the primary vote and win a majority, the top two candidates will advance to the Republican runoff elections on June 23. And the winner of the second round will be considered the clear favorite in the general election in the deep red southeastern state.
Trump’s enormous influence over the Republican Party faces another test in South Carolina, though not on the ballot.
The brute force of the president’s endorsement power was on display in last month’s GOP primaries; His candidates toppled the incumbents he targeted in showdowns that attracted national attention in Indiana, Louisiana, Kentucky and Texas.
But his 11th-hour endorsement of Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra of Iowa a week and a half ago — the same day he also endorsed Vevette — wasn’t enough to propel the three-term congressman to victory in the race to replace retiring GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds.
TRUMP-APPROVED FEENSTRA ACCEPTS MAHA-SUPPORTED LAHN, TO GOP GOVERNOR’S PRIORITY UPSET
Zach Lahn raises his fist in celebration after winning Iowa’s GOP gubernatorial nomination on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. (Zach Lahn for the Governor via Facebook)
To Feenstra, there was little difference between Zach Lahn, a businessman, farmer and former political strategist backed by the political wings of MAHA (an acronym for the Make America Healthy Again movement aligned with Trump Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.) and Turning Point USA, the powerful conservative organization co-founded by the late Charlie Kirk.
In the South Carolina GOP gubernatorial primary, major candidates have long been emphasizing their support for Trump and his agenda in hopes of winning his support.
South Carolina Lt. Governor Pamela Akşamte announces her bid for the Republican nomination for governor at The Smokestack in Judson Mill, South Carolina, on July 14, 2025. (Joshua Boucher/The State/Tribune News Service/Getty Images)
After remaining neutral for months, Trump endorsed Akşam, praising her as “America’s First Patriot” and a “WINNER” in his announcement.
Following Trump’s endorsement of Yeste, Mace said his vociferous push last year for the Justice Department to release files related to the investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein contributed to the president’s support of his rival.
Rep. Nancy Mace, R.S.C., is running for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in South Carolina in the race to replace term-limited GOP Gov. Henry McMaster. (Tracy Glantz/The State/Tribune News Service)
“I know that I risked the possibility of confirmation when I demanded transparency in the Epstein files,” the lawmaker wrote. “I requested this because you deserve the truth – ALL of it,” Mace emphasized in a post on X.
Trump also said in a social media post supporting vetted that he expected vette to choose the governor’s son, Henry McMaster Jr., as his running mate for lieutenant governor.
The president’s comment sparked backlash in South Carolina political circles and speculation that McMaster, who replaced then-Gov. Nikki Haley, who left her post as U.N. ambassador during Trump’s first term and is in her 10th year as governor, was trying to lend political support to her son.
South Carolina Republican Gov. Henry McMaster is term-limited and cannot seek re-election in 2026. (Jeffrey Collins/Associated Press)
But McMaster denied any agreement or pressure, and Akşam said she would not name any candidates until the primary was over.
And on Friday, the younger McMaster removed his name from the debate, saying it was “incredibly humbling” to be mentioned as a possible lieutenant governor candidate but that “now is definitely not the right time.”
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION
The winner of the Republican gubernatorial nomination will be considered the clear favorite in the November general election in South Carolina.
State Representative Jermaine Johnson, trial attorney and 2010 gubernatorial candidate William Mullins McLeod Jr. and businessman Billy Webster, who served as chief of staff to then-Democratic Gov. Richard Riley, are running for their party’s nomination.
