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by WILL FOLKS
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When it comes to choosing a lieutenant governor, South Carolina’s Pamela Evette ought to know better than anyone just how important a decision it is to get it right… and just how important it is to avoid damaging missteps in the process.
Plucked from obscurity in 2017 to run on a ticket with incumbent governor Henry McMaster, Evette has spent the last decade in the shadow of the status quo politician. Now, the native Ohioan is stepping out on her own in a bid to become his successor – earning his endorsement in the process.
The problem?
McMaster’s imprimatur has done absolutely nothing to boost Evette’s candidacy. If anything, her position in the polls has eroded since he announced he was backing her. Recent data suggests Evette is in fourth place in the decisive Republican primary election – trailing four-term attorney general Alan Wilson, fifth district congressman Ralph Norman and first district congresswoman Nancy Mace.
“The dogs don’t like the dog food,” one veteran GOP strategist told us this week, referring to Evette promoting herself as a continuation of the McMaster legacy.
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McMaster has served in South Carolina’s constitutionally neutered governor’s office for the past ten years – filling the latter half of former governor Nikki Haley’s second term and winning two elections in his own right in 2018 and 2022.
What’s he done in office? Very little... which is likely contributing to Evette’s ongoing failure to gain traction amongst likely Republican primary voters.
There’s another, bigger problem facing the Evette campaign, though…
In picking up McMaster’s endorsement – which was portrayed to her as essential in securing the coveted imprimatur of U.S. president Donald Trump – Evette may have agreed to certain strings being attached. Sources familiar with alleged quid pro quo say Evette reportedly pledged to pick the governor’s son, Columbia, S.C. attorney Henry D. McMaster Jr., as her running mate. We first reported on this speculation several months ago, but the “quo” to the rumored “quid” remains incomplete… and there is now mounting speculation Evette is now leaning toward choosing someone else as her No. 2.
Earlier this week, Evette received the endorsement of the Professional Fire Fighters Association of South Carolina (PFFASC) in Charleston, S.C. – support she received just prior to taking the stage for her widely panned performance at the second SCGOP gubernatorial debate.
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Key in facilitating PFFASC’s endorsement of Evette was freshman state representative James Teeple – originally of San Diego, California.
The 46-year-old businessman and staunch social conservative has been hailed by the organization as a “true firefighter supporter” – a lawmaker committed to helping bring about “positive changes for our S.C. firefighters.”
In addition to standing by Evette’s side at the press conference announcing the PFFASC endorsement, Teeple took a victory lap on social media following the event.
“It was great to be part of the Professional Fire Fighters Association of South Carolina’s endorsement ceremony for Pamela Evette today,” he wrote. “Our South Carolina firefighters are amazing folks and I will always stand with them.”
Given Teeple’s recent ubiquitousness on the Evette campaign – and the fact there’s been no announcement of the selection of McMaster Jr. – speculation is swirling in Palmetto political circles as to whether the lieutenant governor is still planning to pick the governor’s son as her No. 2. Not only that, sources close to the elder McMaster indicated he was growing “increasingly impatient” with Evette’s failure to do so.
So… is Teeple the new favorite to get the nod?
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RELATED | POLLING DROUGHT ENDS
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Evette backers said whispers of the governor feuding with his No. 2 were patently untrue – with one of her donors suggesting rival campaigns were planting these rumors in the hopes of damaging the lieutenant governor politically. Perhaps that’s true, but we’ve also received reports from multiple sources indicating Teeple has previously sought to purchase himself a spot on a statewide ticket – allegedly offering inducements including campaign contributions and the use of a private plane in exchange for his selection on a ticket.
Evette cannot afford to alienate supporters at this stage of the race – especially after her shaky debate performance in Charleston, S.C. earlier this week.
Recent polling has shown Evette’s positioning in the race continuing to deteriorate – with her now trailing Wilson, Norman and Mace, according to the latest polls.
According to a survey conducted earlier this month by Walter Whetsell – president of Lexington, S.C.-based Starboard Communications – Wilson was backed by 20% of respondents, putting him ahead of Norman (14%), Mace (13%), Evette (12%), Lowcountry multimillionaire Rom Reddy (10%) and embattled state senator Josh Kimbrell (3%).
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 – a likelihood with such a crowded GOP field – a head-to-head runoff election between the top two vote-getters would be held two weeks later (on June 23, 2026). The winner of the GOP nomination is all but assured of emerging victorious in November, as no Democrat has won a statewide race since 2006 (or a governor’s race since 1998).
Keep it tuned to FITSNews as we continue to track this race and other key contests as part of our ongoing Crossroads 2026 coverage…
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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.
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