Pamela Evette doesn’t see herself on April 1 SC GOP governor debate stage
Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, a Republican hopeful for governor, said Thursday she will not participate in the April 1 South Carolina GOP debate, citing the costs to obtain tickets to attend, amid the complaints from candidates about qualifications to make stage, format and scheduling of the party’s debate series.
“At this time, I don’t see us doing that,” Evette said Thursday of the April 1 debate. “But we are going to be participating in debates again. There’s 75 days from now until the primary, I’m really happy. I’ve been at every governor forum that we’ve been invited to. I’ve been taking my message to every part of South Carolina, and I’ll continue to do so from now until primary day.”
Evette also said she’s committed to participate in a debate hosted by SC ETV, but a date has yet to be finalized.
Evette made the comments right after formally filing to run for governor at the South Carolina Election Commission office.
Evette joins DOGESC founder and wealthy business owner Rom Reddy in saying they won’t participate in the upcoming debate.
U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman and Attorney General Alan Wilson have confirmed their participation. State Sen. Josh Kimbrell has committed to participate, but questions remain if he will meet the minimum donor requirements set by the party.
U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace also has complained about the access to the tickets, and she has yet to commit for the April 1 debate, which is scheduled for the Newberry Opera House and will air on Gray Media television stations.
Evette’s campaign staffers have been critical of a $20,000 sponsorship price tag. Sponsors get 50 tickets to distribute.
“I was a little unsettled about the cost of the ticket prices. I’ve always been worried about our grassroots people,” Evette said. “Those are the people I show up at meetings and talk to and have for eight years, and it just seems to me that there should have been a better mechanism to make sure that they could be in the audience. Those are the people that put out signs for us and then make phone calls for us.”
Evette said in her runs on Gov. Henry McMaster’s ticket in 2018 and 2022 she had never seen the prices promoted by the party, which is using the debate as a fundraiser. Tickets also are being distributed to donors to the party.
According to a copy of an invitation for the 2018 SC GOP debate series, obtained by The State, the party offered sponsorship levels for its debate. The most expensive was $5,000, where the sponsor would receive four tickets to a debate and eight tickets to a pre/post debate reception.
Reddy, who objected to the requirement that candidates have raised a minimum of $100,000 with at least 250 donors giving at least $50, even proposed a different format with large venues in major state hubs, allow citizens to ask questions with no restrictions, and mingle with the candidates, with the event being free to attend.
“I have made a commitment that I will not take political donations during the Republican primary. Not from special interests. Not from donors trying to buy access. Not even from grassroots donors,” Reddy said in a news release last week.
On Wednesday, Mace objected to the planned April 21 debate because it is scheduled when the U.S. House is in session.
“Tell me the establishment isn’t trying to rig the election without telling me the establishment is trying to rig the election and work against the leading candidate for governor,” Mace wrote in an email to the state party. “Obnoxious and you all should be ashamed of yourselves. Do better.”
Despite the limited confirmed appearances, the April 1 debate hosted by the SC GOP and Gray Media is going forward.
“We look forward to having every candidate who wants to be our party’s nominee for governor pay respect to Republican primary voters by participating in as many of these debates as they are able to,” SC GOP Chairman Drew McKissick said in a statement Wednesday.
