Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

We’re still more than a year away from the official opening of candidate filing for South Carolina’s 2026 partisan primary elections, but the jockeying for position in multiple races is getting faster and more feverish with each passing day.

The race for governor of the Palmetto State has already been a study in ferocity, and that’s unlikely to let up anytime soon as candidate announcements are expected later this month and early next month. Think you’ve seen a significant amount of bomb-throwing up to this point? Just wait… things are about to get even more explosive in the weeks to come.

Meanwhile, the S.C. State House has already borne witness to one incredibly caustic special interest battle – a seven-figure scrape which by all appearances was an absolute rout by one side.

Who are this week’s winners and losers?

***

Every Monday, we track the rising and falling fortunes of national politicos via the ‘FITSNews Political Stock Index.’ And every Tuesday, we publish the ‘Palmetto Political Stock Index’ – which looks at politicos from our home state of South Carolina, host of the quadrennial “First in the Nation” (for Democrats) and “First in the South” (for Republicans) presidential primaries.

Got a hot “stock tip” for either of these indices? Email Will Folks (here) and/or Mark Powell (here).

Where should you invest your Palmetto political capital this week? To the index…

***

PAMELA EVETTE

STOCK: RISING

No, that’s not a typo. The lieutenant governor’s stock is spiking at the moment. As this news outlet first reported, there’s word Pamela Evette stands a real chance of snagging President Donald Trump’s endorsement in her 2026 gubernatorial campaign. Among South Carolina Republican voters, his backing would be game, set, match in the GOP primary – which, of course, is game, set, match for the general election.

The deal isn’t done, though. White House sources confirmed the “ask” was made recently but Trump politely deferred action – hoping to see Evette prove she was a legitimate contender in her own right.

On cue, a shocking survey that set Palmetto political tongues wagging. The first independent major poll of the race – released this week- showed Evette besting the Republican field. Conducted by the “Oracle,” South Carolina’s own Robert Cahaly, it found Evette favord by a jaw-dropping 31.5% of GOP primary voters. Congresswoman Nancy Mace was a close second with 29.1%, and Attorney General Alan Wilson rounded out the top three with 27.9%. Hardline conservative Congressman Ralph Norman was a distant fourth with 11.5%.

This reaction from one Palmetto pol was typical: “If it were anybody but Cahaly, I’d laugh at it.”

Said another: “I’ll believe it only when I see a second poll confirming it.”

At the same time, a Winthrop University poll released Tuesday morning found that a significant number of South Carolina Republicans have no idea who Evette even is. A combined total of 59% of respondents said they were either not very familiar or not familiar with her “at all.”

Still, Cahaly’s poll suddenly has people in political circles talking about this dark horse. And in politics, that’s half the battle. For that reason alone, her stock is rising this week.

***

TRIAL LAWYERS

STOCK: RISING

“Money talks and bullshit walks,” former Congressman Ozzie Meyers once said. It’s apparently truer than ever these days at the state capitol in Columbia.

The mega-powerful South Carolina trial lawyers’ lobby reinforced its standing as the top dog among South Carolina’s special interest groups. The organization dug deep (very deep) into its pockets and financed a major offensive to protect its members’ bottom line by squashing (for now) meaningful lawsuit reform this legislative session.

The David and Goliath vibe was reinforced by the failure of the state’s business community to even convene a meeting in response to the onslaught. With marks from the trail lawyer’s steamroller still freshly imprinted on their flattened backs, those paying the price for the Palmetto State’s litigious-friendly atmosphere are struggling to even discuss how to proceed from here.

“They’re paralyzed,” one operative unaffiliated with either side observed.

Without a doubt, the person who took the most incoming fire during this high-dollar struggle was Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey. He’s still bearing the brunt of the trial lawyer’s devastatingly effective blitzkrieg, with text messages and billboards peppering him across the state.

The biggest losers, though, are South Carolina small business owners – the mom-and-pop firms that are the backbone of our economy. As we have seen in countless economic downturns (and which we will get a refresher on later this year if economists’ fears come true), when major employers buckle and sway during significant economic downturns, it’s the little guys who absorb the blows and keep money circulating in local cash registers.

Thanks to its latest victory, the trial lawyer lobby continues making it harder than ever for them to continue doing that.

***

CASINO GAMING

STOCK: RISING

Supporters are betting the farm on casino gambling coming to South Carolina in the very near future – and they’ve got an ace in the hole that’s not getting much attention.

As this outlet reported earlier this week, Greenville, S.C. developer Wallace Cheves wants to transform an dilapidated outlet mall in Santee, S.C., into a $1 billion state-of-the-art casino and luxury resort. He projects an $8 billion infusion into the state economy within the first ten years, including hundreds of new jobs in the state’s impoverished “corridor of shame.”

What isn’t widely known is that House Speaker Murrell Smith is quietly supporting the project – as evidenced by the backing of several ranking GOP leaders.

“There’s no way legislative leaders like Chris Murphy, Bill Herbkersman, and Weston Newton would all have sponsored this bill without Murrell sanctioning it first,” one State House source told us.

Those familiar with FITSNews know it has editorialized for years in favor of projects like this. Our media outlet has consistently called on state leaders to surrender their state-sponsored gambling monopoly – the “education” lottery – and allow private sector casino developments to flourish within our borders.

Will Cheves’ proposal be the one that finally comes up aces?

Stay tuned…

***

DAVID PASCOE

STOCK: RISING

One name is being mentioned a lot these days in connection with the upcoming race to succeed four-term Attorney General Alan Wilson: First Circuit Solicitor David Pascoe.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a prosecutor more aggressive in cracking down on violent criminals. As this news outlet noted earlier this week, Pascoe is getting a ton of ink for being the “father of the firing squad” – a method of execution in South Carolina capital cases used for the first time in modern history last week.

Credited for championing the push that brought the firing squad back, Pascoe will likely see another bump this week with the S.C. Supreme Court is expected to release its next execution order – for a 2002 case tried by the Orangeburg County Democrat.

In addition to his staunch pro-death penalty stance, Pascoe has championed long-overdue judicial reform in our state – leading the charge along with GOP solicitor Kevin Brackett. Those efforts have produced some modest legislative successes, as well.

While Pasoce has the résumé of a stellar prosecutor, he faces a major political hurdle. There’s currently a “D” after his name, and South Carolinians have elected only candidates with “R’s” behind their name to statewide office over the last two decades.

This has led to speculation Pascoe might jump into the Republican camp. On one level, he’d likely find a welcoming embrace. In pushing judicial reform in recent years, Pascoe has spoken to a slew of county GOP organizations across the state – where he was genuinely well-received. After all, his narrative dovetails nicely with traditional Republican values of keeping citizens safe from violent criminals.

Also, Columbia is filled with folks who have switched parties – although most of them flipped labels during the ‘Great Realignment’ that occurred during the 1990s and early 2000s.

How would a convert fare in the Age of Trump?

Let’s not forget Pascoe’s competition. Henry McMaster, Jr. is expected to seek the same office – and with Big Daddy working the phones as governor, junior can expect an ample war chest. State Senator Stephen Goldfinch is also likely to run, but given his recent advocacy for the liberal trial lawyer perhaps he – as opposed to Pascoe – would be more suited to campaign as a Democrat.

***

WANNA SOUND OFF?

Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our articles? Or an issue you’d like to address proactively? We have an open microphone policy! Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. Got a tip for a story? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? CLICK HERE.

***

*****