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by MARK POWELL
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Less than twenty-four hours after suspending his campaign for the South Carolina governor’s office, state senator Josh Kimbrell announced which candidate he’s supporting in next Tuesday’s state primary election. At the same time, he had harsh words for the political patron of one of his former opponents.
The recipient of Kimbrell’s support? Four-term S.C. attorney general Alan Wilson.
The subject of Kimbrell’s ire? Status quo governor Henry McMaster, whose rumored corrupt bargain involving his son supposedly secured an endorsement from president Donald Trump for his anointed successor in this race, charisma-challenged lieutenant governor Pamela Evette.
“Governor McMaster is understandably looking out for his family’s future,” Kimbrell said of the alleged McMaster deal, which is said to have secured a lieutenant gubernatorial slot for his son, Henry McMaster Jr.. “But Alan Wilson is looking out for your family’s future. That’s the difference.”
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According to the conservative stalwart from the Upstate, Wilson’s views and vision for the state’s future closely match his own. Kimbrell called the attorney general the candidate “best positioned to advance a conservative agenda focused on affordability, economic growth, government reform, and defending South Carolina values.”
Kimbrell also praised both Wilson’s military service and his record of standing up to federal overreach from Washington, urging his supporters to vote for Wilson next week.
At least one other candidate in the race isn’t buying it, though. Rom Reddy, the multi-millionaire businessman from the Lowcountry, pounced on what he saw as simply more of the same old, same old from the status quo.
In criticizing Kimbrell’s choice, Reddy also took swipes at first district congresswoman Nancy Mace and fifth district congressman Ralph Norman.
“Today Senator Josh Kimbrell endorsed (attorney general) Alan Wilson,” Reddy wrote. “All these South Carolina politicians endorsing each other is funny. What’s next? Last place Nancy stops spewing her filth and division and endorses 20-year career politician Norman so they can double down on the nastiness and lies? All you career politicians, go ahead and close ranks.”
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Political insiders were split over the practical benefits of Kimbrell’s endorsement. On the one hand, conventional wisdom holds that if the sizable remaining bloc of eleventh hour undecided GOP voters breaks evenly across the remaining field of candidates, this will be a very close race. If that turns out to be the case, any additional votes for Wilson – regardless of how small – could prove crucial.
A veteran political operative who’s sitting out the race bristled at that assessment, though.
“If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” the operative said. “Kimbrell’s base was non-existent; that’s why he’s now an ex-candidate. If he’d had serious support, he’d still be in the race. All this does is keep Alan Wilson’s name in this news cycle. Kimbrell’s endorsement, such as it is, will be forgotten by this weekend.”
Partisan primary elections in South Carolina are scheduled for Tuesday (June 9, 2026). In the event no candidate claims a majority of votes on the first ballot – 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).
The GOP primary is pivotal in determining who will become the Palmetto State’s next governor, as no Democrat has won a top-of-the-ticket statewide race since 1998. That streak is unlikely to break in 2026, although Democrats appear poised for a much better election cycle than many suspect.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
J. Mark Powell is an award-winning former TV journalist, government communications veteran, and a political consultant. He is also an author and an avid Civil War enthusiast. Got a tip or a story idea for Mark? Email him at mark@fitsnews.com.
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