Wilson Wins South Carolina Governor Runoff, York County Turnout Swings Hard In is Favor

Republican Attorney General Alan Wilson defeated Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette in Tuesday’s primary runoff for South Carolina governor, clinching the GOP nomination with roughly 69 percent of the statewide vote. Voters across York and Lancaster Counties also settled runoffs for attorney general and commissioner of agriculture, both decided by similarly wide margins.

The outcome sets up the November general election to replace term limited Gov. Henry McMaster, the state’s first open governor’s race since 2010. Wilson will face Democratic state Rep. Jermaine Johnson, who won his party’s nomination outright on June 9 without needing a runoff.

Governor’s race

Wilson collected 218,321 votes to Evette’s 100,123 out of 318,444 ballots cast, according to results with all counties reporting. The margin capped a two week runoff campaign that followed a crowded seven candidate primary on June 9, when Evette finished first with about 29 percent of the vote and Wilson placed second with about 26 percent. Neither cleared the majority threshold required under South Carolina law, sending the two to a head to head runoff.

The race carried an unusual twist. President Donald Trump endorsed Evette ahead of the June 9 primary, then issued a co-endorsement of both candidates days before the runoff, writing on social media that he could not back one without hurting the other. U.S. Sen. Tim Scott and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz both endorsed Wilson in the campaign’s final stretch, as did U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace and U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, who finished third and fifth respectively in the original primary.

Norman’s endorsement carried particular weight in the Upstate and in York County, where he had topped the June 9 vote. York County Republican Party Vice Chair Christy Boyle said Norman’s backing factored directly into her runoff vote. She said voters often look to people they trust to tell them who else to trust, even as she acknowledged that some voters approach endorsements with caution.

The shift in York County support between the primary and the runoff was steep. Wilson took just 13 percent of the York County vote on June 9, trailing both Norman, who won the county with 40 percent, and Evette, who took 23 percent. By Tuesday, Wilson carried 67.1 percent of the York County vote, a reversal that mirrored the broader consolidation of Norman, Mace and Rom Reddy supporters behind Wilson statewide.

Both candidates campaigned in York and Lancaster Counties in the closing days of the runoff. Evette met with voters in Indian Land, while Wilson appeared alongside Norman, who praised Wilson’s opposition to casino gambling.

The county level results in York and Lancaster reflect the same lopsided shift seen across the Upstate. With all precincts reporting in both counties, Wilson carried York County with 9,313 votes to Evette’s 4,565, and carried Lancaster County with 3,584 votes to Evette’s 2,288.

Wilson, who has served as attorney general since 2010 and is the longest serving person to hold that office in state history, addressed supporters in Columbia on election night. He thanked Evette for her service and framed his win as the start of a campaign focused on affordability, government accountability and conservative reform heading into November. Evette conceded and endorsed Wilson as the party’s nominee, telling supporters the primary was over and Republicans needed to unite ahead of the general election.

Attorney general

Eighth Circuit Solicitor David Stumbo defeated state Sen. Stephen Goldfinch for the Republican nomination for attorney general, taking 172,944 votes, or about 56 percent, to Goldfinch’s 137,270 votes out of 310,214 cast. Stumbo will face Democratic nominee Richard Hricik in November for the seat Wilson is vacating after 15 years as the state’s top prosecutor.

York and Lancaster Counties split on the attorney general race, with all precincts reporting in both. Stumbo carried York County with 7,109 votes to Goldfinch’s 6,403, while Goldfinch carried Lancaster County with 3,097 votes to Stumbo’s 2,663.

Commissioner of agriculture

Cody Simpson won the Republican runoff for commissioner of agriculture over Danny Ford, taking 192,829 votes, or roughly 63 percent, to Ford’s 115,297 votes out of 308,126 cast. Simpson will face Democrat DeShawn Blanding in the fall.

Simpson carried both York and Lancaster Counties by wide margins, with all precincts reporting in both. In York County, Simpson took 8,522 votes to Ford’s 4,811. In Lancaster County, Simpson took 3,917 votes to Ford’s 1,785.