South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette launches 2026 gubernatorial bid, touts Trump ties
Evette, first elected as McMaster's running mate in 2018, spoke to hundreds of supporters Monday evening shortly after she released a short video confirming her run, news outlets reported.
'I stand before you as a mother, a conservative businesswoman and a fighter who is ready on day one to continue that conservative legacy as your next governor,' Evette said in her speech in Greenville.
The announcement video included earlier footage of Evette being praised by McMaster, who is term-limited from seeking reelection, and by Trump, for whom Evette has spoken at his rallies.
'With President Trump back in the White House, South Carolina needs a governor who has his trust, a governor who doesn't need to build a relationship, a governor who can pick up the phone and get things done for South Carolina, because that relationship already exists,' Evette told supporters.
Four-term Attorney General Alan Wilson and state Sen. Josh Kimbrell have already entered the race for the Republican nomination. Others, including U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, are expected to join them.
An endorsement by Trump, who won South Carolina's electoral votes in 2024 by 18 percentage points, could go a long way toward winning the primary, which isn't until next June. South Carolina hasn't had a Democratic governor in more than 20 years. The general election is in November 2026.
Evette entered Republican politics as a businessperson with no previous political experience — a trained accountant who cofounded a payroll, human resources and benefits firm with her husband.
Evette on Monday promoted a record while working with McMaster that included supporting law enforcement, tightening state immigration policies and backing abortion restrictions. She also pointed to barring transgender women from participating in women's sports.
She said her top priorities as governor would include expanding school choice, eliminating income taxes and enforcing Trump's immigration agenda. Evette also vowed in her speech to eliminate 10 regulations for every new one created and to fight 'woke corporations' on the 'radical left' that she said were trying to 'transform our state.'
'I'll follow the playbook that made South Carolina so successful,' Evette said.
Evette, from Travelers Rest, is the state's first female Republican lieutenant governor. She and McMaster were the first team ticket jointly elected in state history after a change in the law.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
13 minutes ago
Detroit voters will pick 2 candidates from a large field vying to become next mayor
DETROIT -- Voters in Detroit will see a mayoral ballot without Mike Duggan's name on it for the first time since 2012 as they go to the polls Tuesday to narrow the field of nine candidates jockeying to succeed him in the job. The continued growth of the city could be at stake since Duggan has helmed Detroit as it exited the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history and surged back to respectability following decades of mediocrity. The former prosecutor and medical center chief has overseen a massive anti-blight campaign and pushed affordable housing developments across the city. The top two vote-getters in the nonpartisan primary will move on to the general election to determine who takes office in January. Duggan didn't seek reelection as he launches an independent campaign for Michigan governor next year. The field of nine features the Detroit City Council president, a current council member, former council member, pastor of a megachurch and a popular ex-police chief. Council President Mary Sheffield is seen by many as the leading candidate in the primary, dominating campaign fundraising. She first was elected to the Detroit City Council in 2013 at age 26. She has been council president since 2022. Saunteel Jenkins was elected in 2009 to the City Council where she spent one four-year term. Jenkins later became chief executive of a nonprofit, which provides utility assistance for families. Either would become Detroit's first female mayor. Current Councilman Fred Durhal III also is on the primary ballot. He has been on the council since 2021 and was a Michigan state representative from 2014 to 2019. The Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. has been senior pastor at Triumph Church for about 27 years. The Detroit-based church has more than 40,000 members across a number of campuses. Kinloch also was an autoworker and member of the United Auto Workers union. Former police chief James Craig came to Detroit in 2013 amid the city's bankruptcy crisis and remained in charge of the police department until retiring in 2021. Craig failed to make the Republican ballot for Michigan governor in 2022 due to fraudulent signatures on campaign petitions. In 2024, he dropped a Republican bid for an open U.S. Senate seat. Other candidates include attorney Todd Perkins, digital creator DaNetta Simpson, business owner Joel Haashiim and entrepreneur John Barlow. The next mayor will inherit a city on much firmer footing than the one Duggan was elected to lead in 2013 when an emergency manager installed by the state to oversee the city's flailing finances filed for bankruptcy on its behalf. Detroit shed or restructured about $7 billion in debt and exited bankruptcy in December 2014. A state-appointed board managed the city's finances for several years. Detroit has had 12 consecutive years of balanced budgets. Developers have built hundreds of affordable housing units in the city, and more than 25,000 vacant and derelict homes and buildings have been demolished. The next mayor, though, will be under pressure to maintain that progress and continuing to keep the city's growth — financially and in people — going. In 2023, the census estimated that Detroit's population rose to 633,218 from 631,366 the previous year. It was the first time the city had shown population growth in decades. Detroit also is becoming a destination for visitors. The 2024 NFL draft held downtown set a record with more than 775,000 in attendance. New hotels are popping up in and around downtown. But perhaps the most visual example of the city's turnaround has been the renovation of the once-blighted monolithic Michigan Central train station. For decades, the massive building just west of downtown symbolized all that was wrong with Detroit. That's before Dearborn, Michigan-based Ford Motor Co. stepped in and bought the old Michigan Central and adjacent properties. It reopened in 2024 following a six-year, multimillion-dollar renovation that created a hub for mobility projects. While no longer a manufacturing powerhouse, Detroit's economy still is intertwined with the auto industry which currently faces uncertainties due to tariffs threatened and imposed by the Trump administration. Stellantis, the maker of Jeep and Ram vehicles, has two facilities in Detroit. The automaker said last month that its preliminary estimates show a $2.68 billion net loss in the first half of the year due to U.S. tariffs and some hefty charges.
New York Post
31 minutes ago
- New York Post
Fleeing Texas Dems side with Newsom as redistricting standoff continues: ‘All out war'
Advertisement California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he is ready to fight 'fire with fire' as state Republican lawmakers try to enact redistricting in Texas, opposing the move though promising to pursue similar measures if needed. At a press conference on Monday, Newsom said he supports independent redistricting, as well as a national framework, and a proposal being advanced in the legislature reinforces what he supports. 'The proposal that we're advancing with the legislature has a trigger only if they move forward, to dismantling the protocols that are well-established,' the governor said. 'Would the state of California move forward in kind? Fighting? Yes, fire with fire.' When asked about a meeting between California Democrats on Sunday night, during which time they drafted or were almost done with the draft of redistricting maps, and whether he had seen those maps, Newsom said he had not. Advertisement But he said there has been an ongoing series of conversations into the evening last night, which continued on Monday morning and will continue until Democrats land on a process. 'That process has to have the concurrence, the support of two-thirds of the legislature,' he said. 'The maps, we believe, should be transparent. They should be provided in a transparent way to the public, and as a consequence, those maps are being processed and will be brought to light.' 6 California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a news conference with Texas lawmakers at the Governor's Mansion on July 25, 2025 in Sacramento, California. Getty Images At the end of the day, though, Newsom said the people of California will have the ultimate say. Advertisement 'We will offer them the opportunity to make judgments for themselves, again, only if Texas moves forward,' Newsom said. 'I'll reinforce that we believe it should be a national model, independent national redistricting, and it would revert back to its original form, but it's done in response to the existential realities that we're now facing. Things have changed, facts have changed, so we must change.' 'They've triggered this response and we're not going to roll over and we're going to fight fire with fire, but we're going to do so not just punching with the weight of the fourth largest economy, the most populous state in our union, the size of 21 state populations combined,' he continued. 'We also will punch above our weight in terms of the impact of what we're doing, and I think that should be absorbed by those in the Texas delegation. Whatever they are doing will be neutered here in the state of California, and they will pay that price.' 6 California Gov. Gavin Newsom met with Texas lawmakers to push back on Texas's redistricting maneuver that aims to tilt the outcome of the 2026 midterm elections and on how California plans to respond. Getty Images California GOP Chairwoman Corrin Rankin told Fox News Digital that Newsom's actions could threaten the constitutional rights of Californians while also setting a dangerous precedent. Advertisement 'While Governor Newsom frames this redistricting as a defensive move, it undermines California's nationally respected, voter-approved Citizens Redistricting Commission, and if successful, sets a dangerous precedent that voters' choices can be overruled whenever politicians find it politically convenient,' Rankin said. 'Our primary concern is safeguarding Californians' constitutional rights against partisan manipulation disguised as defending democracy; true democracy means empowering voters, not politicians, to decide representation.' Dozens of Texas Democrats fled their state and went to Chicago and New York on Sunday night in an effort to block a redistricting vote on Monday. 6 President Donald Trump and Texas Governor Greg Abbott participate in a round table event at the Hill Country Youth Event Center to discuss last week's flash flooding on July 11, 2025 in Kerrville, Texas. Getty Images Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has since threatened to arrest and expel the lawmakers if they do not return by Monday afternoon. Shortly after Abbott released his statement, the Texas House Democratic Caucus issued a simple response, writing: 'Come and take it.' The statement also described Republicans' proposed districts, which would potentially secure five new GOP US House seats in next year's midterm elections, as a 'racist mid-decade redistricting scheme.' Abbott criticized the Democrats' dramatic departure, saying that 'real Texans don't run from a fight.' On Monday evening, Illinois lawmakers hosted Texas Democrats for a press conference, during which time none of the lawmakers took a single question from the press. Advertisement 6 Abbott speaks to a group of event attendees for his Parent Empowerment Night event where he advocated for school choice and vouchers at Temple Christian School in Fort Worth, Texas, on March 6, 2025. TNS Still, Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., welcomed her colleagues and said they could stay as long as they wanted because they believed in what they were doing. 'What you're doing and what…they're trying to do in Texas affects you guys, but it affects the whole country,' she said. 'When you want to remove five Democrats…that hurts us in the House.' She explained that when there are not enough Democrats, things like the Big Beautiful Bill, or as she referred to it as 'the Big Ugly Bill,' and other Republican initiatives get through. Advertisement 'They are trying to destroy our democracy, destroy fairness in our country,' Kelly said. 'And unfortunately, they're starting with Texas. But we want you to know, we stand by your side.' Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., accused Abbott of not stepping up for the people affected by devastating floods in the Hill Country region of Texas. 6 The Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas, on Monday, Aug. 4, 2025. Bloomberg via Getty Images Specifically, he accused Abbott of not having a special session to help families rebuild, but instead of doing 'the bidding' of President Donald Trump to 'banish Democrats' from the federal delegation. Advertisement Krishnamoorthi then directed his comments to Abbott, saying, 'don't mess with Texas,' because the people standing with him represent Texas. 'You can silence them. You can smear them. You can saddle them with debts and fins. But you cannot intimidate them,' Krishnamoorthi said. 'You can gerrymander the hell out of that map. Guess what? Two can play that game. That's right. Other states will do exactly the same thing and neutralize what you're trying to do in Texas.' Other lawmakers standing side-by-side in Illinois chose to accuse Trump's policies of being race-driven. Texas State Rep. Ana-Maria Rodriguez Ramos said Trump's policies hurt working families. Advertisement 'That is nothing short of racism,' she said. 'He is coming after all of us who don't look like him and his Republican colleagues in the Texas House.' Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, followed Rodriguez Ramos with more accusations of racism, saying Republicans are doing what Trump has insisted be done. 'I want you to know that we didn't introduce the race card when this message was sent by and through the Justice Department to the State of Texas, to our attorney general,' he said. 'They mentioned the race card because they talked about racial gerrymandering. They brought it up, and when they brought it up, they did it, knowing that this was a buzz word. It was a trigger.' 'They know that that's a buzz word that people would respond to in Texas, but we are going to respond to that buzz word by telling them that your racism is not going to change democracy in the state of Texas,' Green continued. 'In the United States of America, racism is going to be met with our taking a stand for democracy. You take a stand for racism, we will stand for democracy, and we will win.' 6 Abbott criticized the Democrats' dramatic departure, saying that 'real Texans don't run from a fight.' Bloomberg via Getty Images Rep. Julie Johnson, D-Texas, said she was pleased that states like California and New York were standing up for Texas Democrats because, once it happens in Texas, it will spread to other states. She called the issue a 'national war,' and 'an all-out war' in which everything is on the table. 'We come from a state of great pride, and I never thought as a Texan, as an elected member of the Texas House of Representatives and now as an elected member from Texas to the United States House of Representatives, that I would see the governor of the proud state of Texas bend a knee to a felon from New York,' Johnson added. 'I never thought I'd see the day, but here we are.' Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, was also standing with fellow Democrats in Illinois and accused Abbott of talking 'a lot of noise.' She also accused Republicans of being 'weak.' 'The difference is they expect Democrats to kind of be the nice guys that we are,' Crockett said. 'They expect us to take the punch and say thank you. Well, I am here to tell you not only are we going to punch back, but we about to beat you down.' Still, Abbott told Fox News host Sean Hannity on Monday that Texas is doing what it is allowed to do by law. He also accused state Democrats of doing something 'un-Texas' by turning their back on Texans and not dealing with the flooding issues still echoing across the state. Abbott said four of the five seats that could change because of redistricting will be primarily Hispanic. 'These are seats where Democrats are having to come to grips with reality,' he said, explaining that Democrats are losing votes to Hispanics and Black voters in Texas. He also said Democrats are 'freaking out' because they are realizing Texas has the authority to redistrict. 'Texas will continue to fight for what is right,' Abbott said. Fox News Digital's Anders Hagstrom and Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this report.
38 minutes ago
Texas and California joust for political advantage, with Trump power and US House majority in play
AUSTIN, Texas -- The nation's two most populous states — California and Texas — grappled for political advantage in advance of 2026 elections that could reorder the balance of power in Washington and threaten President Donald Trump's agenda at the midpoint of his second term. In Texas, Democrats on Monday prevented their state's House of Representatives from moving forward, at least for now, with a redrawn congressional map sought by Trump to shore up Republicans' 2026 midterm prospects as his political standing falters. In California, Democrats encouraged by Gov. Gavin Newsom are considering new political maps that could slash five Republican-held House seats in the liberal-leaning state while bolstering Democratic incumbents in other battleground districts. The move is intended to undercut any GOP gains in Texas, potentially swinging House control and giving Democrats a counterweight to Trump on Capitol Hill. A draft plan aims to boost the Democratic margin in California to 48 of 52 congressional seats, according to a source familiar with the plan who was not authorized to discuss it publicly. That's up from the 43 seats the party now holds. It would need approval from lawmakers and voters, who may be skeptical to give it after handing redistricting power to an independent commission years ago. The rivalry puts a spotlight on two states that for years have dueled over jobs, innovation, prestige — even sports — with the backdrop of clashing political visions — one progressive, one conservative. After dozens of Democrats left Texas, the Republican-dominated House was unable to establish the quorum of lawmakers required to do business. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has made threats about removing members who are absent from their seats. Democrats counter that Abbott is using 'smoke and mirrors' to assert legal authority he does not have. The House quickly issued civil arrest warrants for absent Democrats and Abbott ordered state troopers to help find and arrest them, but lawmakers physically outside Texas are beyond the jurisdiction of state authorities. 'If you continue to go down this road, there will be consequences," House Speaker Rep. Dustin Burrows said from the chamber floor, later telling reporters that includes fines. Democrats' revolt and Abbott's threats intensified a fight over congressional maps that began in Texas but now includes Democratic governors who have pitched redrawing their district maps in retaliation — even if their options are limited. The dispute also reflects Trump's aggressive view of presidential power and his grip on the Republican Party nationally, while testing the longstanding balance of powers between the federal government and individual states. The impasse centers on Trump's effort to get five more GOP-leaning congressional seats in Texas, at Democrats' expense, before the midterms. That would bolster his party's chances of preserving its fragile U.S. House majority, something Republicans were unable to do in the 2018 midterms during Trump's first presidency. Republicans currently hold 25 of Texas' 38 seats. That's nearly a 2-to-1 advantage and already a wider partisan gap than the 2024 presidential results: Trump won 56.1% of Texas ballots, while Democrat Kamala Harris received 42.5%. According to the tentative California proposal, districts now held by Republican Reps. Ken Calvert, Darrell Issa, Kevin Kiley, David Valadao and Doug LaMalfa would see right-leaning voters shaved and Democratic voters boosted in a shift that would make it likely a left-leaning candidate would prevail in each race. In battleground districts held by Democratic Reps. Dave Min, Mike Levin and Derek Tran, the party's edge would be boosted to strengthen their hold on the seats, the source said. Democratic members of California's congressional delegation were briefed on the new map on Monday, according to a person familiar with the meeting who requested anonymity to discuss private conversations. The proposal is being circulated at the same time that Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has said he wants to advance partisan redistricting. He says he won't move ahead if Texas pauses its efforts. Newsom said he'd call a special election for the first week of November. Voters would weigh a new congressional map drawn by the Democratic-controlled Legislature. 'California will not sit by idly and watch this democracy waste away,' Newsom said Monday. More than 1,800 miles (2,900 kilometers) from Austin, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul appeared with Texas Democrats and argued their cause is national. 'We're not going to tolerate our democracy being stolen in a modern-day stagecoach heist by a bunch of law-breaking cowboys,' Hochul said Monday. 'If Republicans are willing to rewrite rules to give themselves an advantage, then they're leaving us with no choice: We must do the same. You have to fight fire with fire.' In Texas, legislators who left the state declined to say how long they'll hold out. 'We recognized when we got on the plane that we're in this for the long haul,' said Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer while in Illinois. Texas House Democratic Caucus leader Gene Wu said members 'will do whatever it takes' but added, 'What that looks like, we don't know.' Legislative walkouts often only delay passage of a bill, like in 2021, when many Democrats left Texas for 38 days to protest proposed voting restrictions. Once they returned, Republicans passed that measure. Lawmakers cannot pass bills in the 150-member House without two-thirds of members present. Democrats hold 62 seats in the majority-Republican chamber, and at least 51 left the state, according to a Democratic aide. The Texas Supreme Court held in 2021 that House leaders could 'physically compel the attendance' of missing members, but no Democrats were forcibly brought back to the state after warrants were served. Republicans answered by adopting $500 daily fines for lawmakers who don't show. Abbott, meanwhile, continues to make unsubstantiated claims that some lawmakers have committed felonies by soliciting money to pay for potential fines for leaving Texas during the session. ___
