CHAPIN, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette is playing up her connection to President Donald Trump in the first TV campaign ad of a hotly contested gubernatorial race, highlighting the Republican candidates’ heated pursuit of the president’s backing in a state where his support remains high.
Evette is launching a $1 million multimedia buy, including a television ad debuting during Saturday’s football games being played by the University of South Carolina and Clemson University, her campaign told The Associated Press. The 30-second spot will run for a month across the state.
The ad features a video snippet of Trump praising Evette as she stumped for him in 2024. It shows her alongside Trump as he tells a crowd that she is “going places — you do know that, right?”
Trump hasn’t endorsed a candidate in the race, and it’s unclear if or when he will. But the competition among the GOP contenders for the president’s backing has shaped up in some ways to be a more intense competition than the nomination battle itself.
Along with Evette, Reps. Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman and state Attorney
General Alan Wilson are vying for the GOP nod. One Democrat has also entered the race, but Republicans hold all statewide-elected positions in South Carolina and have won the governor’s office for more than 20 years.