Trump rekindles endorsement winning streak as GOP gubernatorial hopeful advances to runoff

One week after President Donald Trump's endorsement winning streak in high-profile Republican primaries was snapped, the president's backing of South Carolina Lt.Gov.

Pamela Evette helped boost her bid to succeed term-limited GOP Gov.Henry McMaster.Evette, who was endorsed by Trump a week and a half before Tuesday's primary, will advance to a runoff election in two weeks, The Associated Press reports.

The big question is which one of the other major gubernatorial contenders will join Evette.The GOP field includes South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, nationally known Rep.

Nancy Mace, Rep.Ralph Norman and multimillionaire businessman Rom Reddy.Since no candidate was expected to top 50% of the primary vote and land a majority, the top two finishers will advance to the June 23 Republican runoff.

And the winner of the runoff will be considered the clear favorite in the general election in the solidly red southeastern state.DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUBSouth Carolina Lt.Gov.

Pamela Evette announces her bid for the Republican nomination for governor at The Smokestack at Judson Mill in South Carolina on July 14, 2025.(Joshua Boucher/The State/Tribune News Service/Getty Images)While he wasn't on the ballot, Trump's immense clout over the GOP is facing another test in South Carolina.The brute force of the president's endorsement power has been on display in GOP primaries over the past month, with his candidates ousting incumbents he targeted in showdowns in Indiana, Louisiana, Kentucky and Texas that grabbed plenty of national attention.But his 11th hour endorsement of Republican Rep.

Randy Feenstra of Iowa — which came on the same day he also backed Evette — in the race to succeed retiring GOP Gov.Kim Reynolds wasn't enough to muscle the three-term congressman to victory.Feenstra was narrowly edged by Zach Lahn, a businessman, farmer and former political strategist who was backed by the political wings of MAHA — the acro...