1 week into Evette-Wilson GOP runoff, what are SC governor hopefuls bickering over
Inside the Wheelwright Auditorium at Coastal Carolina University, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Attorney General Alan Wilson will face off in a one-on-one debate, a week before the June 23 runoff for the Republican nomination for governor.
However, for the last week, their campaigns have been firing shots at one another giving potential previews of what attacks debate watchers will see during an hourlong televised encounter.
They are trying to draw contrasts from each other in a race where they generally agree on issues. Those contrasts will be key as after the June 9 primary, they’ve had to work to gain support from the 45% of voters who supported one of the other five GOP hopefuls who appeared on the ballot.
On the night of the primary, Evette started off by hitting Wilson on his 2023 pay raise approved by the Agency Head Salary Commission. Evette has hit Wilson on being a “career politician” trying to portray herself as the outsider in the runoff, an appeal to the those who voted for U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman and businessman Rom Reddy.
However, Evette is in her eighth year as lieutenant governor in an administration led by the longest serving governor in state history, who previously served as a lieutenant governor himself for two years and as attorney general for two terms.
On Thursday, a group of state representatives, three of whom are considered to be Evette’s potential running mate, held a news conference to criticize the Wilson’s support for James Smith for a judicial position in the 5th Circuit. Smith was the 2018 Democratic nominee for governor, and was one of two candidates for a judicial position in 2024. However, Smith’s opponent dropped out.
The General Assembly eventually voted to restart to judicial application process, rather than electing Smith.
State Rep. Melissa Oremus, R-Aiken, said Wilson called members of the General Assembly trying to urge them to vote in favor of Smith.
“We rejected Alan Wilson’s request, and we cleared the slate in that contested race, and there was no Alan Wilson liberal, pro-Planned Parenthood friend put in a position of power on the bench in South Carolina … James Smith, who Alan has claimed represented him for free, we now see the reports that Alan Wilson’s campaign has paid James Smith $28,000,” said state Rep. Gil Gatch, R-Dorchester.
Wilson’s team said the attorney general has been calling for judicial reform and said the lawmakers who held a news conference were only auditioning to be Evette’s running mate.
Wilson’s team points out Smith and the other candidate in the particular race were both Democrats.
“Smith met the legal qualifications to serve on the bench and was a safer alternative to the other candidate who was also a Democrat,” deputy campaign manager Claire Brady wrote in a statement.
Staff members of the Wilson campaign has repeated its attacks on Evette previous work in promoting diversity equity and inclusion efforts when she ran her business QBS solutions, attaching Evette to McMaster’s decision to elevate Brannon Traxler to run the Department of Public Health until a permanent leader is nominated.
Members of the Wilson campaign have question how she plans to eliminate the state income tax in the first 100 days of office. Evette has previously clarified elimination of the income tax will be a task for her first 100 days.
They’ve also have hit Evette on how the McMaster administration touted the Scout Motors deal, which included a $1.3 billion incentive package and has led to $150 million in cost overruns.
Evette campaign consultant Chris Grant in a social media post picked a running mate who supported diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
“@AGAlanWilson picked a pro-DEI Senator as his running mate (who’s entire business was built because solely because DEI policies) after taking tens of thousand of dollars from woke DEI companies to bankroll his assault on the Trump administrations,” Chris Grant posted on X.
Reichenbach is part of the Ford Minority Dealers Association, which helps with management development and helps with attaining money for training and capital improvements.
Reichenbach participated in The Riley Institute’s Diversity Leadership Initiative Class of 2018.
Brady said there’s a difference between what Reichenbach participated in than what Evette’s experience.
She said Evette ran a company that make money from promoted DEI, and is different “than someone going through a training program to start their career,” Brady said.
How to watch
The South Carolina Republican Party runoff debate for governor is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday on Gray Media stations.
- Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson — WHNS FOX Carolina and all digital platforms
- Columbia — WIS NBC 10 and all digital platforms
- Charleston — WCSC Live 5 and all digital platforms
- Myrtle Beach — WMBF NBC and all digital platforms
- Augusta-Aiken — WAGT NBC and all digital platforms
- Charlotte — Digitally on WBTV website and news app platforms
- Savannah — Digitally on WTOC website, news app, and CBS platforms
