Sponsorship or ticket fee? 3 governor hopefuls balk at committing to SC GOP debate
As filing to appear on the ballot for this year’s elections nears, hopefuls for governor are getting more and more invitations to speak to voters.
A chance to go on television and speak to voters during a debate aired across the state in prime time may see like an easy call, but only Attorney General Alan Wilson has committed to the debates scheduled by the South Carolina Republican Party in partnership with Gray Media.
Late last week, the campaigns for Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace and U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman publicly appeared hesitant complaining about the number of tickets or fees for people to access tickets.
Evette’s campaign staffers were critical of a $20,000 sponsorship price tag.
The $20,000 fee is an opportunity to sponsor the event and not a candidate fee, the party said. Sponsors paying $20,000 gets 50 number tickets to distribute.
The campaign objected to the $20,000 fee for sponsors to have 20 VIP reception tickets and up to 30 general admission tickets.
“Why is the @SCGOP shaking down campaigns $20k for 50 tickets to watch the debates? Do we get a gold watch while we’re at it? Pretty lame. Give all the campaigns 50 tickets each for FREE. Lt. Gov Evette, Nancy and I all agree,” Norman said.
Mace’s campaign was critical of the party over its process of setting up the debates. The first one already has been rescheduled so it no longer conflicts with U.S. House session day.
SC GOP Chairman Drew McKissick often sells sponsorships at big GOP events, such as the Silver Elephant gala. Congressman William Timmons sponsored the bar at the event, Wilson sponsored the desserts, Fred West, a candidate of agriculture commissioner, sponsored the peaches given to attendees.
“SCGOP told us only way to get tickets was to be a debate sponsor. It’s a shakedown plain and simple,” Evette campaign advisor Chris Grant posted on social media. “The party is supposed to help candidates raise money, not find ways to squeeze them to line pockets of the party.”
The debate sponsorship led to a string of social media posts from campaign staffers Friday. It also was at the end of a week when Evette was blasted for a comment she made at an Upstate Republican Women’s forum in Greenville saying she would eliminate the state income tax in her first 100 days in office.
Evette later clarified her comments saying it would be a goal she would work on in her first 100 days.
The Evette comments led to a critical social media post by Mace and a mass text message from the Mace campaign.
Wilson’s campaign called out Evette for trying to dodge the debates.
“Alan Wilson had real bullets flying his way when he served overseas, so he’s certainly not scared of Pam’s spin on a debate stage. He immediately committed to the debates that will reach the largest number of South Carolina families because they deserve to hear directly from the candidates,” said Wilson spokesperson Claire Brady. “If Pam Evette is scared to debate now, why should anyone believe she has the courage to be governor?”
The party defended itself saying the debate gives candidates are able to speak to primary voters for free in prime time in every media market in the state.
“Not one single candidate has been told that they have to pay or raise any money in order to take advantage of that, and they’ve been all provided with the guidelines and qualifications to participate,” McKissick said. “Sponsorships are just that: They’re for corporate sponsors and major donors — not candidates.”
Hosting a debate costs the party money. Even though Gray Media is handling the television production side of the costs, renting a venue, providing security, having ushers and holding a VIP reception need to be paid for. The SC GOP estimated one debate could cost the party at least $10,000 to host.
“The fact that the state Republican Party is working to raise money to elect Republicans (including the eventual Republican nominee) should surprise nobody,” McKissick said.
The debate is a fundraiser for the party, which expects its eventual nominees for governor and attorney general to have spent potentially all of their cash to win nominations and will have to start efforts to fundraise more cash. The party raising money will help those campaigns, as well as those running down ballot.
“It would be irresponsible if we didn’t,” McKissick said.
In order to qualify for the debate, candidates must have an average of 2% in state polls of likely Republican primary voters. Polls cannot be paid for by a campaign or a connected political action committee. Candidates also must have raised at least $100,000 for their campaigns, from at least 250 unique donors contributing at least $50 each.
Only state Sen. Josh Kimbrell has yet to meet the fundraising threshold.
This story was originally published March 3, 2026 at 10:18 AM.
