SC’s Mace knocks Evette’s joke about husband wanting to be a lifeguard. Here’s the context
U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace took aim at Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette for joking about her husband wanting to work as a lifeguard standing watch over teenagers in bathing suits.
Mace’s attack, made through a social media post, comes as she and Evette are considered among the leading potential candidates for the Republican nomination for governor in next year’s election. Evette also led in a recent poll.
In a video posted on Mace’s X account she has used for her congressional campaign and as she considers a run for governor, Evette talks about how her teenage son can make $15 an hour as a lifeguard at a water park in Myrtle Beach.
“But David said, ‘That is amazing. That kid’s making $15 an hour to stand as a lifeguard, watching other teenage girls run around in a bathing suit. That is amazing. Sign me up, all day long. I think I’m going to go to work with him,’” Evette said during a Young Republicans event.
The 15-second video clip then ends.
“Pam Evette told the crowd her husband wanted to go to work with their son as a lifeguard so he could watch teenage girls in bikinis,” Mace, who represents the Lowcountry in Congress, posted on X. “As a survivor of sexual violence, I don’t find this appropriate at all. Why does a 60-year-old man want to look at teenage girls in bikinis and why does our Lt. Governor think that’s funny?”
But the video clip removes the context of Evette’s remarks, which were made March 8 at the Grand Strand Young Republicans Inaugural Lincoln Reagan Dinner. Evette in her remarks talks about how a lifeguard job now pays more than her first job and how she has encouraged for young people to have a job.
Both Evette and Mace were in attendance.
When speaking in front of business groups or Republican groups, Evette often discusses the need for teenagers to have jobs so they can understand the value of earning money.
In Evette’s full remarks, a recording of which was obtained by The State, she talks about an a youth employment initiative she started called “Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders.”
“That’s the great thing about being lieutenant governor. When you decide to start a statewide initiative, and you go home and say ‘Honey, guess what mom is telling everyone to get their kids off the couch and start working. Guess who’s getting a job this summer,’” Evette said.
Evette adds that she and her husband were shocked teenagers could earn $15 an hour saying it dispels the notion “there are not good paying jobs anywhere.”
Evette also said her first job was at a Dairy Queen making $2.10 an hour as a seasonal employee.
Mace’s social media hits on Evette come as a very early Trafalgar Group poll showed the lieutenant governor led in a potential head-to-head-to-head match up between Evette, Mace and S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson. Mace however had the highest name recognition, according to a Winthrop University poll. All three are considered potential leading candidates for the Republican nomination for governor in next year’s election. No one has officially jumped into the race.
Mace has also taken aim at Wilson as he considers a run for governor.
Mace has hit Evette and Wilson for not being vocal in campaigning against former Charleston County Sheriff Kristin Graziano. Mace also has lobbed attacks at Wilson for not prosecuting a case where she alleged rape and voyeurism by four men. That case however is still under investigation and has not been referred to a prosecuting agency.
