SC’s Evette is asked how many members are in state House. She gives wrong number
Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, who is running for governor, slipped up Tuesday while testifying in favor of middecade redistricting by not correctly saying how many members are in the state House.
After reading her prepared remarks, Evette agreed to take questions from members of a House Judiciary Committee panel.
State Rep. Justin Bamberg, D-Bamberg, pointed out that Evette didn’t testify during the last redistricting process after the 2020 census. He then pointed out that Republicans hold a supermajority.
After asking how many Democrats were in the state House, he asked Evette how many total members are in the House.
Evette, who is in her eighth year as lieutenant governor, appeared not to know the answer.
“Umm, 140,” Evette said.
Bamberg responded, “No, 124.”
Her response was quickly criticized on social media.
“Watching this hearing and the person who wants to be the next Governor doesn’t even know how many members there are in the SC House of Representatives,” state Sen. Tameika Isaac Devine, D-Richland, posted on X. “Maybe we should require candidates get a civics lesson before running for office.”
Evette has prided herself with forming relationships with legislators and her campaign brushed off the flub.
“Our focus is on driving home the message of we have got to take any means necessary to get this done. I’m not worried about that,” Evette spokesman Matt Goins said. “She knows how many members are in the House and Senate, because she’s been calling them and working the phone lines to see that we get this bill passed and get this done.”
Evette also was supposed to appear at a news conference with SC GOP Chairman Drew McKissick almost immediately after her testimony.
Evette didn’t attend, but two other candidates for governor, U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman and Attorney General Alan Wilson, did. Wilson also was at the redistricting hearing, and spoke after Evette’s testimony. State Sen. Josh Kimbrell also was scheduled to attend the news conference, but he did not attend.
Evette’s campaign said she met with a state senator after her testimony to discuss the redistricting vote. However, the campaign would not say who. As the Senate came into session Thursday, Evette was in the chamber speaking to a state senator.
The state Senate was taking up a resolution on whether to take up redistricting after the formal end of this year’s session Thursday.
“Time is of the essence, and right now, our focus is on getting the maps redrawn and getting redistricting done in South Carolina,” Goins said.
This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 2:06 PM.
