Latest Winthrop Poll Results on the S.C. Gubernatorial Race (10/28/25)

HIGHLIGHTS

• Results from the new poll find Nancy Mace - the current congresswoman from South Carolina's 1st Congressional District - and Pamela Evette - the current lieutenant governor of South Carolina - to be in a statistical tie for the lead among Republican registered voters in the state.
• Nearly 47% of GOP voters said they are undecided.

ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA - Nancy Mace and Pamela Evette lead the pack in the race to become the Republican nominee for governor of South Carolina, according to the latest Winthrop Poll.

Results from the new poll find Mace - the current congresswoman from South Carolina's 1st Congressional District - and Evette - the current lieutenant governor of South Carolina - to be in a statistical tie for the lead among Republican registered voters in the state, followed by U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman and S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson with S.C. Sen. Josh Kimbrell in a distant fifth place.

Winthrop Poll Director, Dr. Scott Huffmon, stated: "Congresswoman Mace and Lieutenant Governor Evette have been ahead of the pack regarding earned or purchased media. This appears to be reflected in these results. Mace and Evette tied at the top of the contenders. Numbers for Attorney General Alan Wilson seem to have dropped compared to other recent polls. This could be attributed to increased name recognition for other candidates or a casualty of the frequent direct attacks directed at Attorney General Wilson by Congresswoman Mace. The results of polling in the months between now and the primary are sure to be fluid as the candidates begin to engage their full campaign strategies. It is also clear that President Trump's endorsement could be a key factor in the outcome of this race."

The GOP primary will take place in June 2026, followed by the general election in November.

Nearly 8 in 10 Republicans in South Carolina say President Donald Trump's endorsement is very or somewhat important to them when deciding who to vote for in the gubernatorial primary.

When it comes to how Trump is handling his job as president, South Carolinians are split. Among all registered voters, just over half approve. Among only Republican registered voters, approval jumps to more than 80%.

Huffmon noted, "Naturally, Trump continues to ride extremely high among his party. His overall numbers may have benefited from this poll being in the field when he was able to negotiate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which is something everyone had been hoping for."

Half of South Carolinians approve of the way Henry McMaster is handling his job as governor. Approval of the governor remains high within the GOP and comes in at more than half among registered voters regardless of party affiliation.

According to Huffmon, "Governor McMaster is virtually as popular as President Trump among Republicans who expressed an opinion. With the natural exception of Democrats, McMaster is above water across the board including a solid 6 out of 10 registered voters who expressed an opinion."

See tables and methodology here.

For additional information or to set up an interview with Scott Huffmon, contact Judy Longshaw at [email protected] or 803/323-2404 (office) or 803/984-0586 (cell).