Politics & Government

President Trump gives coveted endorsement in SC governor’s race. Here’s his pick

Donald Trump speaks to a crowd gathered at the South Carolina State Fairgrounds on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. Trump won the South Carolina primary.
Donald Trump speaks to a crowd gathered at the South Carolina State Fairgrounds on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. Trump won the South Carolina primary. tglantz@thestate.com

In a Friday evening post, President Donald Trump backed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette’s campaign, the highly sought after endorsement in the race for the Republican nomination for South Carolina governor.

The endorsement was shared on Truth Social.

“Pam Evette is a good friend, fighter and winner and will be a terrific governor of South Carolina,” Trump wrote.

Evette has made her loyalty to Trump the centerpiece of her campaign for governor. She has pointed out she was the only candidate in the GOP race to stand with Trump when he returned to South Carolina for a January 2023 rally at the State House.

The primary is June 9.

“Your walk down that golden escalator is what propelled me into politics,” Evette posted on social media. “You showed what a businessperson can do to make America Great Again. I am incredibly grateful for your support and will never let you down.”

In the president’s social media post, Trump also foreshadowed who he thinks will be Evette’s running mate: the current governor’s son Henry McMaster Jr. a Columbia attorney.

Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, mingles during a rally for presidential candidate Donald Trump at the South Carolina State Fairgrounds on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024.
Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, mingles during a rally for presidential candidate Donald Trump at the South Carolina State Fairgrounds on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. Tracy Glantz tglantz@thestate.com

This breaking news story will be updated.

Joseph Bustos
The State
Joseph Bustos is a state government and politics reporter at The State. He’s a Northwestern University graduate and previously worked in Illinois covering government and politics. He has won reporting awards in both Illinois and Missouri. He moved to South Carolina in November 2019 and won the Jim Davenport Award for Excellence in Government Reporting for his work in 2022. Support my work with a digital subscription
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