$52.0K
JUN 10, 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.
Evette remains the clear favorite at 85%, while AP says Trump’s endorsement is being tested and the race may still head to a June 23 runoff, keeping the finish line outcome-tradable.
Pamela Evette advanced to a runoff in South Carolina’s Republican governor primary after finishing first in the initial vote, setting up a June 23 matchup with Attorney General Alan Wilson. The runoff winner will become the GOP nominee and face Democrat Jermaine Johnson in the general election. The race has quickly turned negative, with Evette and Wilson trading attacks over judicial lobbying, no-bid legal contracts, and other personal and campaign issues. Nancy Mace’s exit from the race also reshaped the field, and she later endorsed Wilson.
Aggregation source: FiftyPlusOne
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
