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by WILL FOLKS
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Early polls in the South Carolina governor’s race have not been kind to lieutenant governor Pamela Evette. The second-term No. 2 to outgoing chief executive Henry McMaster has been mired in single digits ever since announcing her candidacy earlier this year.
Evette, 57, of Travelers Rest, S.C. is hoping to give her candidacy a shot in the arm next weekend with a massive television buy which includes prominent placements on two season-opening football broadcasts.
Next Saturday (August 30, 2025) at 7:30 p.m. EDT, No. 4/6 Clemson opens its campaign at home against No. 9 LSU. Meanwhile No. 13 South Carolina kicks off its season next Sunday (August 31, 2025) at 3:00 p.m. in Atlanta against unranked Virginia Tech.
Those tuning in to those games should expect to see a heavy dose of Evette ads – including content from her campaign organization as well as her political action committee, Patriots for South Carolina. All told, the two entities have purchased at least $112,000 worth of ads on these broadcasts, according to paid media watchers at KPI Insights.
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Watching @GamecockFB or @ClemsonFB next weekend? Expect to see a LOT of ads from @PamelaEvette… #Crossroads2026 pic.twitter.com/ZyGHwmp6YX
— FITSNews (@fitsnews) August 22, 2025
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Evette’s total buy on the two football games is likely to exceed $150,000 once expenditures on streaming services are incorporated – and sources close to her candidacy insist these buys are “just the beginning” of a major advertising push coinciding with Labor Day.
Evette is one of five announced GOP candidates for governor. Also running are first district congresswoman Nancy Mace, four-term attorney general Alan Wilson, fifth district congressman Ralph Norman and state senator Josh Kimbrell.
Will such a sizable, early investment in paid television advertising boost her numbers? Probably… but by how much?
Early polling indicates Mace and Wilson lead the pack in support – with Norman and Evette behind them – although a significant chunk of the electorate is undecided, which isn’t surprising considering how far off the race is.
Filing for next spring’s partisan primary elections opens in March, with the primary itself scheduled for June 9, 2026. In the event no candidate wins a majority of votes in the primary, a runoff election would be held two weeks later (on June 23, 2026).
The GOP primary is the race to watch in South Carolina. As we often note, Democrats haven’t won a gubernatorial race since 1998 – and haven’t won a statewide election since 2006. That means whomever captures the Republican nomination is all but assured of prevailing in the general election next November.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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10 comments
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No thanks to Airhead Pam.
Who?
We have a woman that’s lt. governor? For two terms? Never heard of her. From Travelers Rest? I’m in Travelers Rest and haven’t heard of her. What has she done for the past eight years? Seriously, I’ve heard nothing of her.
Are you kidding? She was McBastard’s lap dog for eight or so years. She sat in the corner and drooled silently on herself like a good girl. She was seen and not heard. Now she is ready to take that Joo bribe, er campaign, money those nice Israelis offer her and the other sellouts who welcomed them to the Capital building a few months ago. What a dream she would be as Governor!
Go pam, go pam. Whoo whoo whoo.
Just look at the sheriff election, voters want mild mannered trusting politicians and they’re showing up at the polls.
Pams strongest point: not Alan Wilson.
… or Nancy Mace, or Ralph Norman, or Josh Kimball.
Ralph is a CAREER POLITICIAN who ha literally never done anything. Never passed a bill in 20 years.
I think Pam’s a babe. I’m torn twixt voting for either her or Ralph.
She is almost as hot as Ralphie.