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by WILL FOLKS
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Lowcountry multi-millionaire Rom Reddy claims his long shot bid to become the next governor of South Carolina is “surging” – and he’s released the results of an internal poll he says proves it.
“The momentum is real,” Reddy said last week in touting the results of the internal survey, which showed him narrowly trailing S.C. attorney general Alan Wilson and first district congresswoman Nancy Mace – and narrowly leading lieutenant governor Pamela Evette and fifth district congressman Ralph Norman in the race to replace term-limited, status quo governor Henry McMaster.
Are Reddy’s results consistent with those obtained via independent polling? No… but they are close enough to warrant a conversation. And considering the diminutive Indian-Italian dropped $2 million into promoting his candidacy during its first six weeks – and has millions more to pump into his bid – the fact he’s purchased a preliminary foothold in the field is significant.
According a campaign memo (.jpg) posted to social media, Reddy’s organization conducted a “blind survey” of 5,501 likely Republican primary voters across the state over a ten-day period in late April and early May. While the specific dates of the survey were not released, Reddy’s campaign claimed they showed Wilson at 14.7%, Mace at 13.7%, Reddy at 13.1%, Evette at 12.5% and Norman at 12.1%. State senator Josh Kimbrell was well behind the field at 1.1%, while nearly a third of those surveyed – 32.5% – indicated they were undecided, according to the memo.
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“Rom Reddy is the only candidate surging in the polls,” the memo noted. “At the current rate of momentum, we fully expect Rom Reddy to start pulling away from the field in the next few weeks leading up to the election.”
Reddy has touted himself as the only true outsider in the race – an experienced businessman running against a field of career politicians beholden to the state’s failed status quo. He has repeatedly (robotically?) dubbed this clique the “political ruling class” – although one of his top allies, powerful S.C. speaker of the House Murrell Smith, is the undisputed leader of that insider clique.
Norman has also blasted the Columbia establishment, although (unlike Reddy) he and his S.C. Freedom Caucus allies have been willing to call Smith and his fellow legislative leaders by name.
In addition to downplaying Norman’s positioning in the race, Reddy’s campaign took a swipe at the national Freedom Caucus leader – who has been the focus of a withering barrage of attack ads from the Reddy campaign. According to the memo, Reddy has begun “to consolidate the outsider lane over career 20-year politician Ralph Norman.”
Is that accurate?
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Norman’s campaign wasn’t immediately available to respond to the Reddy poll, but most independent surveys would hold the opposite view – that it is Norman, not Reddy, who is consolidating the outsider vote.
Our media outlet has taken a dim view of Reddy – criticizing him in no uncertain terms for abandoning the conservative movement he founded last year in favor of a Quixotic, vanity campaign for governor. I’ve also addressed how Reddy’s decision to dissolve his formerly robust DOGE SC organization in favor of a bid for the Palmetto State’s constitutionally neutered chief executive’s office marks a terrible return on investment (even if Reddy succeeds).
Having said that, it’s important to be objective in assessing his chances…
While Reddy’s path to victory is far narrower and steeper than that of Wilson, Norman, Mace and Evette, it would be foolish to say it doesn’t exist. Especially given the resources at his disposal over the final twenty-nine (29) days of this race.
Barring any changes from the S.C. General Assembly (which is currently debating whether to mess with the Palmetto State’s political maps), 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).
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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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