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by MARK POWELL
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For the first time since the news broke – at the highest possible level, no less – that he might become South Carolina lieutenant governor Pamela Evette’s running mate, Henry McMaster Jr., son of the Palmetto State’s longest-serving chief executive, broke his silence on the matter.
And poured cold water on the alleged corrupt bargain…
“It was incredibly humbling to be mentioned as a potential lieutenant governor candidate by the greatest President in American history,” McMaster Jr. posted on social media Friday afternoon. “I’ve been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from friends, neighbors, colleagues, and even strangers encouraging me to run for public office, but now is simply not the right time for me to be considered for lieutenant governor.”
Not mentioned were the vile social media posts McMaster made nearly twenty years earlier during his college days, which have been the subject of much discussion around the state since they were publicly shared last weekend.
“You can’t help wondering if there are other skeletons in his closet that he’d rather not have come out,” a veteran Palmetto political operative unaffiliated with any gubernatorial campaign noted. “And if so, whether that may have played a role in his decision.”
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Speculation surrounding the younger McMaster had been swirling in political circles for months. There was initially talk that the son of governor Henry McMaster might run for attorney general, the same office his father once held. Earlier this year, however, this news outlet broke the story that McMaster, Jr., was under consideration to join Evette on the Republican ticket as her lieutenant governor, again another office his father previously held. There was conjecture that picking McMaster, Jr. was the price Evette was expected to pay for securing the endorsement of her current boss – and for his influence in landing Trump’s backing as well.
When the politically coveted endorsement finally arrived last week, the McMaster Jr. selection was presented as a fait accompli.
“A BIG added plus for Pam is that, I hear, Henry McMaster, the brilliant and very competent son of Henry and Peggy, will be running with her as the next lieutenant gI toovernor,” Trump wrote in his Truth Social post endorsing Evette.
Not long thereafter, the release of McMaster’s youthful lewd social media posts followed. By mid-week, Evette’s campaign was receiving serious blowback. She never confirmed her decision to ask McMaster, Jr., to join her on the GOP ticket – but she never denied it, either.
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Various polling, however, told a different story, with some surveys suggesting a potential Evette-McMaster ticket was causing more damage than President Trump’s endorsement was helping.
“Evette’s campaign had to get this off the table,” a national Republican strategist in Washington unaffiliated with any South Carolina campaign observed. “But coming as McMaster’s tweet did, heading straight into the final weekend before primary day, is it too little, too late? Folks have been talking about this non-stop for seven days. Yet now we’re just over 72 hours away from polls opening. Is there enough time to win back voters who soured on her over the matter?”
While politicos weigh the implications of this latest twist on Tuesday’s election, it’s possible South Carolinians haven’t heard the name McMaster for the final time in a political campaign.
“Just look at the wording of his tweet,” the operative pointed out. “‘Now is simply not the right time.’ He didn’t say anything about 2030.”
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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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