|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
by WILL FOLKS
***
It’s been more than a month since anyone has published truly independent polling data in South Carolina’s decisive Republican gubernatorial primary election.
We use the term “decisive” because no Democrat has won a statewide race in South Carolina since 2006 – and no Democrat has won a governor’s election since 1998. That makes the battle for the GOP nomination – which is set to be settled in June – the only race worth watching.
So… what’s the state of play in that contest?
According to a survey conducted earlier this month by Walter Whetsell – president of Lexington, S.C.-based Starboard Communications – four-term attorney general Alan Wilson continues to lead the field in this crowded six-way fight to succeed term-limited, status quo incumbent Henry McMaster.
***
***
Wilson was backed by 20% of respondents in the Starboard poll, putting him ahead of fifth district congressman congressman Ralph Norman (14%), first district congresswoman Nancy Mace (13%), lieutenant governor Pamela Evette (12%), Lowcountry multimillionaire Rom Reddy (10%) and embattled state senator Josh Kimbrell (3%).
A sizable percentage of the GOP electorate – 28% – said they were “unsure” or refused to identify a preference in the race, per its results.
Whetsell and his company are unaffiliated with any of the candidates running for governor. The veteran strategist declined to comment on the survey, but confirmed the results were authentic after being presented with screenshots leaked to FITSNews by a confidential source.
Whetsell’s firm surveyed 604 likely South Carolina GOP primary voters between April 8-14, 2026, randomly selecting respondents from registered voter lists using a combination of “valid landline and cell phone listings.” The margin of error of the survey was plus or minus 4.4%.
“Each respondent is registered to vote in South Carolina, has voted in at least one GOP primary in the past (or is newly registered in targeted geographies) and part of a representative sample based on current registration and participation statistics for primary history, race, age, gender and geography,” the survey’s methodology noted.
***
The poll broke down each candidate’s performance by region, gender, age range and the amount of time they have lived in South Carolina. It also assessed each candidate’s performance among various segments of the GOP electorate – including their support among Trump backers, evangelicals, fiscal conservatives and traditional GOP voters.
Of interest? Wilson led – or was tied for the lead – among each of those cohorts.
Also worth noting? The results from Whetsell’s poll were consistent with those of several internal surveys provided to FITSNews in recent weeks – all of which showed Norman moving into either second or third place in the race behind Wilson and/or Mace.
Which is probably why second tier candidates like Reddy are attacking him…
Wilson’s camp was thrilled with the data, saying it
“While others chase headlines or try to peak early, we’ve stayed focused on what matters, affordability, public safety, and results,” campaign manager Kurt Pickhardt said in a statement. “The more voters hear Alan’s message, the stronger our position gets, and we’re not taking our foot off the gas.”
The last independent survey in this contest was released by Quantus Insights on March 12, 2026. It showed Wilson and Mace tied atop the field at 22% apiece. At the time, Evette was in third place with 16% support (despite having just received McMaster’s endorsement). Norman was in fourth place at the time with 11%, while Kimbrell was backed by 3% of respondents.
More than a quarter of those polled in that survey – 26% – were also undecided.
Partisan primary elections in South Carolina are scheduled for June 9, 2026. In the event no candidate claims a majority of votes on the first ballot – which is a likelihood in such a crowded GOP governor’s race – a head-to-head runoff between the top two vote-getters would be held two weeks later (on June 23, 2026).
Keep it tuned to FITSNews for the very latest on South Carolina governance and politics.
***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
***
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.
