Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette joins race for South Carolina governor. 5 things to know
Evette, an Upstate Republican, now joins state Sen. Josh Kimbrell, R-Spartanburg, and Attorney General Alan Wilson, a Lexington County Republican, who have already announced bids for governor. Gov. Henry McMaster cannot run for reelection in 2026.
'For over six years, I haven't been a typical Lieutenant Governor who sits on the sidelines. I've been Gov. McMaster's partner, his right hand, in making South Carolina the conservative success story of America,' Evette said.
Evette was tapped to be McMaster's running mate in 2018 after the state constitution was changed for the governor and lieutenant governor to run together as a ticket. She earns $46,000 as lieutenant governor and now seeks an office that pays $106,000 a year.
She lives in Traveler's Rest, and is originally from Ohio. She is the first Republican female lieutenant governor.
Evette started Quality Business Solutions Inc. (QBS), a payroll, human resources and benefits services firm headquartered in Travelers Rest. Her husband, David, now serves as president of QBS, which is now a division of Vensure HR, a provider of HR services based in Arizona.
She has a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from Cleveland State University. Pamela and David Evette have three children.
She has been McMaster's second-in-command since 2019 when she was sworn-in as lieutenant governor. With McMaster unable to run for reelection in 2026, Evette is a logical successor.
'It makes sense for the lieutenant governor to run because she has a record of statewide service to run on, and having served for nearly eight years and visited much of the state, she has a story to tell of people she's met and challenges she wants to tackle,' said Rob Godfrey, a South Carolina Republican operative who is not working for any campaign this cycle.
McMaster has an 66% approval rating in the state among Republicans, according to a Winthrop University Poll released in May.
'I think voters in South Carolina are generally happy about the how Gov. McMaster has done. He's our longest serving governor in state history,' said Alex Stroman, a former S.C. GOP executive director, who is not working for any campaign this cycle. 'Being seen as the third term — kind of maybe a Ronald Reagan, George Bush type of situation — is a reason for running.'
Evette was an early backer of Trump's 2024 reelection campaign, standing alongside the president in January 2023 when he rolled out his first set of endorsements in the Palmetto State during an event at the South Carolina State House.
Since then, she has been consistently speaking about the work of the Trump administration.
During remarks in front of the Lexington County Republican Party in June, Evette spoke about Trump's promises to address immigration issues and close the country's borders.
'I've traveled the country as a surrogate, I've endorsed him at every opportunity, and I have never wavered in my support for the America First movement. Not for one single day,' Evette said in her 1,700-word speech, which included Trump's name 14 times.
'I didn't wait to see how the political winds would blow to endorse him. I didn't attack him on social media and then flip-flop because I needed to save my political career,' Evette added in a veiled shot at U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, a Republican considering her own bid for governor.
Evette can try to portray herself as a quasi-incumbent by saying she is part of the state's progress during McMaster's time as governor that has included economic growth.
'She's worked closely with Gov. McMaster, and gets the advantage of being able to run as a part of a successful administration,' Godfrey said.
She also has the ability to use the office and its official events to indirectly help her campaign. Evette serves as another spokeswoman for the governor's office. Often when appearing with governor, Evette stands directly behind McMaster's shoulder to ensure she is in the camera frame.
Also Evette, 57, came onto the public scene in 2018 as McMaster's running mate and isn't a lifelong politician.
'She has a case to make as a business owner, and so I think that is really something, that that really can be beneficial to to her,' Stroman said.
Stroman also said Evette has a good ability to work a room.
'I think she has a raw talent unlike I've seen in the state in a long time,' Stroman said. 'She's very good at making connections that are genuine, and unlike that I've seen really from anybody else in the race.'
She also comes from the Upstate, a vote-rich part of the state where the GOP dominates.
The experience building QBS also may come in handy.
'She has a business background,' Godfrey said. 'It's an an experience that comes from outside government and can allow her to put a fresh set of eyes on an office and think about unique ways to run it.'
Evette has lower name recognition than other perceived front-runners, Wilson and U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, if she decides to run for governor. The job of lieutenant governor also has no defined role other than becoming the chief executive if the governor was unable to complete his term.
A Winthrop University poll found 38% of Republican voters were familiar with her, a mark lower than Mace and Wilson.
Evette also may come from the Upstate, but one of the largest county GOP parties also have may not support her. Evette was not selected as a delegate to the State GOP Convention by Greenville County's GOP. She also wasn't a speaker at that county's GOP convention.
'I think it's improved since she was picked, (in the last) six years, but the name ID, I think it's going to be a challenge,' Stroman said.
So she will have to spend resources to introduce herself.
Godrey said Evette will have to make sure she can raise enough money for her own campaign to give herself a platform to share her story. And she'll have to do it without being on a ticket with McMaster.
'You have to introduce yourself to the state in a new way, not just as a part of an administration or as an office holder who has been in one job for the last eight years, but as someone who has the vision to be the state's chief executive,' Godfrey said.
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