Wilson, Stumbo and Simpson Win Republican Runoffs for Statewide Offices
June 24, 2026
South Carolina Republicans decided three statewide nominations in Tuesday’s primary runoff, sending Attorney General Alan Wilson to the November ballot for governor, advancing 8th Circuit Solicitor David Stumbo as the nominee for attorney general and choosing farmer Cody Simpson as the nominee for commissioner of agriculture.
The runoffs followed the June 9 primary, in which no candidate in those races reached the majority needed to win outright. Under state law, a candidate must receive 50 percent of the vote plus one to avoid a second round between the top two finishers.
In the governor’s race, Wilson defeated Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, ending the night with about 69 percent of the vote to her roughly 31 percent. The result reversed the order of the June 9 primary, in which Evette finished first. Wilson consolidated support from several eliminated candidates, including U.S. Reps. Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman, during the two-week runoff campaign. President Donald Trump, who had endorsed Evette before the primary, issued a co-endorsement of both candidates in the closing days of the runoff.
Evette conceded Tuesday night and endorsed Wilson as the party’s nominee, calling for Republicans to unite ahead of November. Wilson, the son of U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, has served as South Carolina’s attorney general since 2011. He will appear on the November ballot with running mate Mike Reichenbach, a state senator, and will face Democratic nominee Jermaine Johnson, a state representative who won his party’s nomination outright on June 9. The seat is open because Gov. Henry McMaster is barred by term limits from seeking another term.
In the attorney general’s race, Stumbo defeated state Sen. Stephen Goldfinch. Unofficial results with all precincts reporting showed Stumbo with 172,944 votes, or about 55.75 percent, to Goldfinch’s 137,270 votes, or about 44.25 percent. Goldfinch had finished first in the June 9 primary. Former prosecutor David Pascoe, who placed third, endorsed Stumbo after being eliminated, and Stumbo carried the Upstate by wide margins. Stumbo serves as solicitor for the 8th Judicial Circuit, which covers Abbeville, Laurens, Newberry and Greenwood counties. He will face Democratic nominee Richard Hricik in November in the race to succeed Wilson as attorney general.
In the agriculture commissioner’s race, Simpson defeated Danny Ford II, taking about 62.6 percent of the vote to Ford’s 37.4 percent. Simpson, a fifth-generation farmer who was endorsed by Trump and McMaster, previously served as state executive director of the USDA Farm Service Agency. He will face Democratic nominee DeShawn Blanding, United Citizens Party candidate Chris Nelums and Libertarian candidate Michael Sullens in November. The seat is open because Commissioner Hugh Weathers is not seeking reelection after more than two decades in the post.
The general election is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.
