South Carolina – South Carolina’s Republican race for governor is beginning to look less like a quiet march toward primary day and more like a crowded sprint, with a new Trafalgar Group poll showing several well-known GOP figures packed closely together near the top.
The survey, conducted from May 2 through May 5 among 1,089 likely Republican primary voters, gives Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette a narrow lead with 25.2 percent support.
Attorney General Alan Wilson follows close behind at 23.1 percent, putting the two candidates within a small gap as the campaign enters a more intense stretch.
The poll lists a 2.9 percentage-point margin of error and a 95 percent confidence level, according to The Trafalgar Group’s report.
Behind them, U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman remains firmly in the race with 19.6 percent, while U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace stands at 15.2 percent.
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That leaves four candidates within striking distance of one another, a sign that the Republican primary remains unsettled and could shift as voters hear more from the campaigns.
The lower tier of the poll includes Rom Reddy at 10.1 percent, state Sen. Josh Kimbrell at 4.2 percent and Jacqueline Dubose at 2.7 percent.
While those numbers place them behind the leading group, the early shape of the race suggests that even small movements among voters could matter.
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The poll also comes as South Carolina Republicans prepare for a primary season where name recognition, endorsements and campaign momentum could play a major role.
Polls offer only a snapshot in time, and the picture can change quickly once candidates begin spending more heavily, appearing at more events and drawing sharper contrasts with one another.
Trafalgar said the poll had a 5.6 percent response rate and a 50 percent response distribution. The group’s methodology is available through TheTrafalgarGroup.org/Polling-Methodology.
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For now, the numbers point to a competitive Republican contest rather than a clear runaway favorite. Evette holds the first-place position in this survey, Wilson is close behind, and Norman and Mace remain close enough to keep pressure on the front-runners.
With the field still divided, the next phase of the race may decide whether one candidate breaks away or whether South Carolina Republicans move toward primary day with the contest still wide open.
