Pamela Evette
Pamela Evette remains the overwhelming favorite in the South Carolina GOP governor market after AP reported Trump formally backed her on May 29, reinforcing the post-endorsement repricing ahead of the June 9 primary.
$2.3M
JUN 24, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Current roleLieutenant Governor
PartyRepublican
Political ideologyTrump-aligned Republican
Age58 years old (Aug 28, 1967)
GenderFemale
LocationSouth Carolina
BackgroundLieutenant Governor of South Carolina
EducationMidpark High School (1985)
Notable personal detailsPamela Sue Evette is an American politician and businesswoman serving as the 93rd lieutenant governor of South Carolina since 2019. Originally from Ohio, she earned a business degree in accounting from Cleveland State University and worked as an accountant before moving to Travelers Rest, South Carolina. She founded Quality Business Solutions, a payroll, HR, and benefits services firm, and later entered statewide elected office as the first female Republican lieutenant governor in South Carolina history.
The candidate advocates eliminating South Carolina’s state income tax, advancing bold tax-cutting reforms for families and small businesses, and implementing government-efficiency measures to reduce spending and remove regulations. She proposes creating a state Department of Government Efficiency to cut waste and accelerate tax-rate reductions. These positions emphasize major tax reduction and smaller government approaches.
Opposes expanding Medicaid due to concerns about long-term state costs and the need for a state match, arguing that accepting more federal funds would require shifting resources from other state priorities. Emphasizes fiscal constraints and a business-oriented approach to managing healthcare-related budgets and benefits. No campaign position endorsing a public option or Medicare-for-All was found.
The candidate supports enforcement-first immigration policies, including building state detention capacity for undocumented immigrants who commit crimes and cooperating with federal deportation efforts. She has proposed a state facility—'Palmetto Pen'—to detain violent undocumented immigrants and has pledged to enforce President Trump’s immigration agenda. Her public statements emphasize removing dangerous undocumented immigrants from communities and expanding tools for law enforcement to hold and deport them.
Pamela Evette identifies as pro‑life, says life begins at conception, supports strong abortion restrictions in South Carolina, and has backed state laws limiting abortion and banning taxpayer‑funded abortions. She has defended the state’s fetal heartbeat law and stated she will work to protect the unborn and restrict abortion access.
Supports an all-of-the-above energy approach that includes fossil fuels, opposes aggressive green-energy mandates and regulation, and has supported state measures to expand power generation and remove regulations hindering energy production. Emphasizes reliability and affordability of energy and criticizes policies she links to unreliable/expensive power.
Supports constitutional carry and robust Second Amendment protections, opposes efforts to weaken gun rights, and emphasizes strong support for law enforcement and public safety. Advocates keeping law-abiding citizens armed while resisting regulatory measures from political opponents.
Pamela Evette remains the overwhelming favorite in the South Carolina GOP governor market after AP reported Trump formally backed her on May 29, reinforcing the post-endorsement repricing ahead of the June 9 primary.
Pamela Evette’s South Carolina GOP governor market has surged to 87% after Donald Trump formally endorsed her on May 29. The move is trader-relevant because it reprices the clear front-runner in the June 9 primary and sharply widens the gap versus the rest of the field.
Pamela Evette's odds are down 23.0 points and are now at 55% over a 3-day streak.
Pamela Evette advanced to a South Carolina Republican gubernatorial runoff after finishing first in the primary with 28.86% of the vote. She will face Attorney General Alan Wilson on June 23 for the GOP nomination, with the winner moving on to the general election. The runoff has already turned combative, with Evette’s campaign attacking Wilson over judicial lobbying and legal contracts, while Wilson’s team has pushed back against Evette and her husband. She is also being described as Trump-backed in the race.
Aggregation source: FiftyPlusOne
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
