South Carolina GOP Governor’s Race Enters Final Two Weeks With Four Candidates Deadlocked
Why It Matters
South Carolina’s Republican gubernatorial primary is shaping up as one of the most competitive statewide races in the country this cycle. With the June 9, 2026 primary now just days away, the outcome will determine who leads the Palmetto State and could hinge on a presidential endorsement that has yet to materialize.
What Happened
Fifteen days out from the primary, four candidates — Attorney General Alan Wilson, Fifth District Congressman Ralph Norman, Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette, and First District Congresswoman Nancy Mace — remain in a statistical dead heat at the top of polls. Five months of campaigning, two debates, and heavy advertising have done little to separate the field.
The race gained an additional layer of complexity with the late entry of businessman Rom Reddy, who has deployed his personal fortune aggressively since joining the contest. Despite the spending, Reddy has not broken into the top tier and was polling at 11 percent in a pair of recent surveys — trailing all four frontrunners.
State Senator Josh Kimbrell has fared worse, polling at the back of the pack. The South Carolina Republican Party did not extend him an invitation to its third and final primary debate, scheduled for Tuesday evening, May 26, at Wofford College in Spartanburg. Kimbrell attributed his absence to duties at the State House, where lawmakers are weighing a proposed redrawing of the state’s congressional map tied to a White House-backed redistricting effort. “I’ll instead be in special session helping President Trump fight to deliver all seven congressional seats for Republicans,” Kimbrell said in public remarks.
Lieutenant Governor Evette also declined to attend Tuesday’s debate — her second debate skip of the primary cycle — opting instead to appear at a get-out-the-vote rally in North Myrtle Beach. Early voting opens statewide on Tuesday morning, adding urgency to every campaign’s ground-level mobilization effort. The redistricting debate unfolding simultaneously at the State House has added another dimension to an already crowded political environment; for more on that controversy, see the South Carolina governor’s call for a special session on redistricting.
By the Numbers
- 15 days remain until the June 9 Republican primary.
- $5.47 million spent by Rom Reddy in his first 60 days as a candidate, per a pre-election disclosure report filed with the S.C. State Ethics Commission.
- 11% — Reddy’s polling average in recent surveys, behind all four frontrunners.
- 25–30% of the primary electorate remains undecided, according to polling consensus.
- 3 debates have been scheduled during the primary cycle; Tuesday’s forum at Wofford College is the last.
The Final Stretch: Cordial No More
The prior two debates were notably civil — even warm at moments. At the second debate in Charleston, Mace acknowledged her opponents’ outreach following her father’s death, and she and Norman exchanged light-hearted jabs. That tone has since shifted sharply.
Reddy has taken aim at Norman over his career in elected office. Norman has criticized Wilson’s record as attorney general. Wilson has challenged Evette for implying she holds President Trump’s endorsement — a claim the White House has not confirmed. Evette has attacked Mace over criticism directed at the Trump administration, while Mace has traded blows with multiple rivals. The final debate is expected to reflect that escalating tension.
A longtime South Carolina election observer noted that accusations were expected to fly “so fast and furious, it’ll be hard to follow who is attacking whom for what.” The comment captures a race that has grown considerably sharper as the window for a breakout moment narrows.
Zoom Out
The missing variable looming over the entire contest is a Trump endorsement. The president has weighed in on at least one other South Carolina down-ballot race this cycle, making his silence on the gubernatorial contest notable. Analysts widely believe a Trump endorsement could prove decisive in consolidating the large bloc of undecided Republican voters — estimated at roughly a quarter to a third of the electorate. The parallel fight over congressional redistricting, which critics argue raises significant legal questions, adds yet another volatile element to an already unsettled political landscape. Interested readers can review the broader debate over gerrymandering and democratic accountability for additional context.
What’s Next
The final Republican primary debate takes place Tuesday evening at Wofford College. Early voting begins the same morning across the state. The primary itself is set for June 9. If no candidate clears 50 percent, South Carolina election rules would trigger a runoff between the top two finishers — a real possibility given the four-way split at the top of current polling.