Ad implies McMaster is backing Evette in ‘26 SC race. Has the governor endorsed?
A new television ad from Patriots for South Carolina, a super PAC backing Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette’s campaign for governor, includes a familiar face and has led to a firestorm in other campaigns.
In the ad, clips of Gov. Henry McMaster are used to imply McMaster is backing Evette’s campaign to succeed him.
“She’s smart, hardworking and has the experience we need. Pamela Evette is what South Carolina is all about,” McMaster says. “I believe in South Carolina and I believe in Pam Evette.”
But the footage is from a 2017 video where McMaster introduces Evette as his lieutenant governor running mate.
The new ad is an update of an ad featuring President Donald Trump hyping up Evette.
“Your lieutenant governor is going places,” Trump says in the ad in a clip from Trump’s victory rally the night of the 2024 South Carolina Republican presidential primary.
Neither McMaster nor Trump have endorsed in the South Carolina governor’s race and the ad does not explicitly say the two are endorsing the lieutenant governor in the 2026 campaign.
“I haven’t endorsed anybody, and I might, might not, but just have to stay tuned,” McMaster told reporters last week on Sept. 16.
Patriots for South Carolina did not respond to an email seeking comment and the Evette campaign has no control over the PAC’s messaging or amount of spots the PAC purchases.
The ad has done something that most would not expect: Get Attorney General Alan Wilson and U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace to point their ire against another candidate instead of each other.
Mace and Wilson, who are also seeking the GOP nomination for governor, have been at odds over Wilson’s prosecution record, were both angry over the ad. Also running for the Republican nomination are state Sen. Josh Kimbrell and U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman.
“It is wrong for Pamela Evette and her campaign to attempt to confuse voters with an ad from 2017 and speak for Gov. McMaster and President Trump when both have made it clear they have not endorsed anyone in this race,” Wilson said in a statement. “That’s not honest, not the way to do business, and it is not fair to South Carolina families.”
Both campaigns called on Evette to take the ad down.
“Evette’s ad is nothing more than smoke and mirrors from a politician who knows she can’t win on her record,” said Mace campaign spokeswoman Piper Gifford. “South Carolina voters deserve honesty, not fake endorsements from a candidate who lies.”
Evette’s campaign Thursday went to social media to take aim at Mace.
“Nancy, the only one lying in this race is you when you pretend to be a Trump supporter. But then again, that’s what we expect from a DC politician,” Evette posted on social media pointing to times Mace was not loyal to Trump.
The ad comes as new polling from Co/Efficient shows Mace leading with 19%, Evette now in second with 18% support and Wilson with 16% support in the primary. The poll found 35% of GOP primary voters were undecided for a primary election that will take place in June.
“If I were Nancy or Alan and I saw the recent poll numbers I’d be freaking out too,” said Evette campaign spokesman Matthew Goins said. “We’re in front of Alan and on the heels of Nancy.”
This story was originally published September 26, 2025 at 10:34 AM.
