By Adrian Ashford
SCDailyGazette.com
COLUMBIA — Republican candidates for governor will face off in at least three debates hosted by the state GOP before voters choose a nominee in the June primaries, South Carolina’s dominating party announced Monday.
Next year represents the “first truly open” governor’s race in 16 years, said state GOP Chairman Drew McKissick.
“We’re looking forward to creating an opportunity for all South Carolinians to hear from our candidates as they consider who to support in the coming campaign,” he said in a news release.
The first debate is set for March 17 at Coastal Carolina University in Conway. The next two will follow in five-week intervals: April 21 at the College of Charleston and May 26 at Wofford College in Spartanburg, according to the state Republican Party’s announcement.
The primary is two weeks later.
The fourth debate will be June 16 at the Newberry Opera House in the likely event of a runoff. That’s mid-way between the June 9 primary and June 23 runoff.
Five Republicans have announced bids for the Governor’s Mansion: Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, state Sen. Josh Kimbrell, U.S. Reps. Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman, and Attorney General Alan Wilson.
In South Carolina, runoffs are required if no candidate wins at least 50% plus one vote in a primary.
The last time there was no Republican incumbent on the ballot for governor was 2010, when then-Rep. Nikki Haley ultimately won a four-way GOP race in a runoff with then-Congressman Gresham Barrett.
In January 2017, then-Lt. Gov. Henry McMaster ascended to the Governor’s Mansion when Haley left her second term early to become President Donald Trump’s first ambassador to the United Nations. McMaster has won two terms since, becoming the longest elected governor in state history.
The state GOP is partnering with broadcast company Gray Media for the debates. They will be moderated by the stations’ “on-air talent” and “conservative media personalities,” according to the party’s release. A spokesperson declined to be more specific.
Coastal Carolina President James Winebrake said the public university is proud to “serve as a forum where ideas are exchanged and democracy is strengthened.”
In February 2024, Trump held a rally at Coastal Carolina ahead of the state’s presidential primary with Haley, which he won by more than 20 percentage points.
The debates can be watched on the following stations in South Carolina and their online platforms:
- Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson – WHNS FOX Carolina
- Columbia – WIS NBC 10
- Charleston – WCSC Live 5
- Myrtle Beach – WMBF NBC
- Augusta-Aiken – WAGT NBC
Two Democrats have announced bids for governor: state Rep. Jermaine Johnson of Richland County and Charleston lawyer Mullins McLeod.
Adrian Ashford covers campaigns and elections for the S.C. Daily Gazette. Before moving to South Carolina, he covered faith and religion for The Dallas Morning News. He studied religion and politics at Harvard and wrote a thesis about evolving interpretations of the First Amendment. S.C. Daily Gazette is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
