by MARK POWELL

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South Carolina’s first Republican gubernatorial debate in Newberry earlier this month was a cordial affair. Candidates stayed focused on the issues – and kept things civil.

Will the same be said after this week’s second round?

When the curtain rises on Tuesday evening (April 21, 2026) at the College of Charleston’s Sottile Theatre, five of the six GOP candidates have committed to being on stage. Attorney general Alan Wilson, fifth district congressman Ralph Norman and state senator Josh Kimbrell will appear before votes a second time, while lieutenant governor Pamela Evette and Lowcountry businessman Rom Reddy – both of whom skipped the first debate – will make their 2026 debuts.

As of press time, congresswoman Nancy Mace – who had a solid performance during the first exchange – was the only uncommitted candidate, waiting to see how the U.S. House of Representatives’ schedule unfolded.

Regardless of whether there will be five podiums on stage or six, the stakes are incredibly high as we are now just fifty (50) days away from the decisive Republican gubernatorial primary in the Palmetto State. I say “decisive” because the GOP nominee has won the last six governor’s races in South Carolina. Republican nominees are winning by bigger and bigger margins, too, as the last Democrat gubernatorial nominee barely clearly the 40% threshold in 2022.

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The closer we get to primary day, the more likely things are to get nasty – meaning this week’s GOP exchange is expected to yield far more fireworks than the last one.

We’re told several candidates spent the weekend prepping for this upcoming encounter, boning up on stats and pre-planning “off the cuff” zingers the way college students cram for their finals. They were wise to invest time in such planning, too – because a debate this close to the primary isn’t something a serious candidate wings.

A single, careless slip of the tongue or inadvertent stumble could instantly turn into a lethal landmine – crippling a frontrunner and killing their momentum. Conversely, the ability to think fast on one’s feet when opportunity arises can produce the modern-day political equivalent of the Holy Grail – a viral moment that captures lightning in a bottle, resonates with broad swaths of the electorate and propels a candidate to the front of the pack.

If recent polling is accurate, each campaign needs such a boost, too, as “undecided” still sits squarely in the driver’s seat in this race. Remember this, too: if no candidate receives a majority of votes on June 9, the top two vote-getters would face off in a head-to-head runoff election two weeks later.

Here’s a recap of what to watch for on Tuesday night as each of the six contenders (including Mace, should she show) jockey for position…

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JOSH KIMBRELL

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NEEDS: Relevancy
NEEDS TO AVOID: Fallout from his legal drama
WATCH FOR: Who he attacks (and defends)   

Let’s be frank: The senator from Spartanburg County is faring so poorly in the polls that it’s unlikely his opponents will waste any of their political capital attacking him.

Also, if recent headlines are any indication, Kimbrell is doing a good enough job damaging his own candidacy.

Things could change in the event Kimbrell – who also performed well during the first debate – manages to land an effective jab against a rival. Guns could then swing his way, and he would likely find himself on the explaining end of unpleasant questions about his ongoing legal woes.

And as they say in politics, if you’re explaining, you’re losing.

For Kimbrell, simply coming off the stage with his campaign maintaining a fluttering pulse would be a win – although as we continue to note, his legal troubles have become all-consuming.

Something worth watching is how Kimbrell interacts with the other candidates. Does he attack any of them? Laud any of them? Given the close relationships between certain consultants in this race, the direction of his venom – or praise – could prove telling.

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PAMELA EVETTE

NEEDS: To step out of the current governor’s shadow
NEEDS TO AVOID: Falling on her face as she does so
WATCH FOR: The number of times she says ‘Trump’

It’s not easy being second banana in South Carolina, where the executive branch is already constitutionally neutered. It gets even harder when your time comes to seek the top job – and there’s very little to show for your time in office.

Such is the dilemma confronting the “lite governor.” 

Yes, Pamela Evette has been long-serving governor Henry McMaster‘s dutiful co-pilot these past eight years. And yes, she has reaped the backing of a big chunk of the state’s GOP establishment as her reward. But when the question turns to, “what has she really accomplished?” the answers don’t suggest bold visionary leadership. Sure, highway beautification, stepping on golden shovels at groundbreakings, and saluting student accomplishments are all well and good. But at a moment in its history when South Carolinians are restless and increasingly intolerant of the status quo, such establishment photo-ops “don’t feed the bulldog,” as they say.

The noticeable lack of yeast in Evette’s polling numbers (despite her spending more money than any other candidate) bears witness to her struggle.

In fairness to Evette, the office she currently occupies was specifically designed not to accomplish much (thus ensuring the spotlight always falls on the governor). Still, she needs to move beyond, “if you like what you got from Henry these last ten years, you’ll love what you’ll get from me.”

Voters aren’t having that this cycle, which is one reason why Evette hasn’t advanced in the polls.

It’s a tightrope, though. At the same time she seeks to distance herself from the status quo, Evette can’t afford to let a single ray of sunlight come between her and her boss, either. Or else it’s an indictment of her, too.

This much is certain: Expert to hear that Evette loves Donald Trump. A lot.

Many believe Evette’s only path to victory is by securing Trump’s endorsement – something it appeared for awhile as though she had the inside track to receive. The longer she goes without getting it, though, the narrower her path becomes.

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NANCY MACE

NEEDS: An electability argument
NEEDS TO AVOID: Aggression overload
WATCH FOR: Her homestretch strategy

Should she show up, you’ve got to wonder which version of Nancy Mace will take the stage. Will it be the “Nice Nancy” we saw at Congressman Russell Fry’s recent candidate forum in Florence? Or will it be the “Primary Pitbull,” the Mace who unofficially kicked off her campaign with a scathing “scorched earth” attack on Alan Wilson delivered from the floor of the U.S. House?

Mace can be a polarizing political personality. Those who like her really, really like her; conversely, those who dislike her do so with a vengeance. But with the primary so close at hand – and so many voters still undecided – she needs to convince the GOP base of her electability. Being a bomb thrower on issues she feels passionate about may be good for grabbing headlines, but is it a sound approach to winning over eleventh hour converts?

Then there are her personal issues. Most notably, her infamous meltdown with officials at Charleston’s airport late last October. Although Mace’s base stayed with her after that contretemps, conventional wisdom suggests the disapproval it produced in other Republicans is too baked into the cake to overcome.

Should she participate, the debate could be her last best chance to turn the page once and for all.

Mace’s performance in Charleston – her backyard – will also reveal what sort of approach she intends to bring to the final seven weeks of this race.

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RALPH NORMAN

NEEDS: A rebound
NEEDS TO AVOID: Being cast as a D.C. insider
WATCH FOR: A breakout ‘relatability’ moment

Ralph Norman didn’t have his best performance during the first GOP debate – but he’s promised his supporters he’s not going to let it happen again.

For Norman to succeed onstage in Charleston, he needs to differentiate. This being South Carolina, every candidate with an ‘R’ beside their name claims to be a conservative. But a growing number of those on the right flank of the ideological spectrum – including the founding editor of this media outlet – insist that’s no longer good enough.

And South Carolina’s consistently less-than-robust outcomes would support that view…

These voters want proof that a candidate’s conservative rhetoric on the campaign trail is matched by a consistently conservative voting record in office. As a member of the U.S. House’s Freedom Caucus, Ralph Norman’s bona fides are established. However, serving on Capitol Hill these days is accompanied by the tainted stench of Washington. Look for someone to try to tag him as a “Washington Insider,” a point which Norman has given them some ammunition to hit him with.

Norman has done a good job of differentiating so far. For example, while most of the candidates who appeared at Fry’s forum mentioned earlier discussed the same issues (deplorable roads, the pressing need for judicial reform, etc.), Norman talked about them in a down-home, folksy way that had many in the audience nodding in agreement.

If he establishes “relatability street cred” Tuesday night, it could open up a new path for support while also creating new headaches for his opponents. 

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ROM REDDY

NEEDS: A breakthrough
NEEDS TO AVOID: Talking over people
WATCH FOR: A new dynamic to the debate

You never get a second chance to make a first impression, as the old saying goes… and the Charleston debate will be a political first date of sorts for Rom Reddy, a local multi-millionaire and founder of the since-scuttled DOGE SC movement. A known commodity in the Palmetto Lowcountry, Reddy remains a mystery to many rank-and-file Republicans across the state.

Seeing as this will be the first time a substantial number of them take his measure, how will the diminutive Indian-Italian stack up next to the competition? Reddy has previously bashed his rivals as “clowns.” What happens if he fails to impress against them?

Because he’s only been in the race for six weeks – during which time he’s spent at least $1.5 million to boost his name identification – Reddy is a definitional wildcard. He’s also a political novice, one who will be surrounded on stage by experienced campaigners.

Reddy has many bold, innovative ideas for the state. However, he needs to avoid unloading too many at once and steer clear of diving into too many policy details. Voters are just getting to know him, after all.

Still, there’s no denying that Reddy has a strategic opportunity to turn this race on its head.

Will he seize it on Tuesday night? 

Reddy must also learn to adapt to political realities. Jumping in the race so late means he has to make up a lot of ground – in a limited amount of time. For him to have a chance to make the GOP runoff election on June 9, he needs to take out the politician most likely to capture the votes he needs. That’s Norman – so watch and see if Reddy trains his fire on his fellow multi-millionaire during Tuesday night’s exchange.

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ALAN WILSON

NEEDS: To be the adult on stage
NEEDS TO AVOID: Taking the bulk of the attacks
WATCH FOR: Strong counterpunches

Alan Wilson’s newly released campaign commercial touts his service in the Iraq War. That experience will likely come in handy on Tuesday night, as the four-term attorney general – the race’s frontrunner – is expected to face a barrage of incoming attacks.

Wilson leads his rivals in the polls – and in the pivotal money battle. That makes him the top target in this race, and the likely recipient of the most attacks on the debate stage Tuesday evening (Evette in particular is likely to be gunning for him).

There’s a big risk with the strategy of attacking Wilson, however. The veteran prosecutor has tried to remain above the fray throughout this contest, and for the most part he’s succeeded. But as the old saying reminds us, you can only poke the bear so many times before the bear roars back.

Wilson has strategically absorbed several punches during this race – but he will not permit himself to become a punching bag as it enters its pivotal phase. In other words, candidates who insist on going after him should be prepared for him to punch back.

Wilson’s team has portrayed him as the grown-up in this race, the one candidate who has stayed above name-calling and petty mudslinging. They would like to preserve that image – but it may not be possible much longer. 

It’s often remarked in political circles that Wilson is a gentleman, a truly nice guy. But opponents who think he’ll simply roll over and play dead without fighting back could be in for a surprise. Because sometimes, even the most polished gentleman has a good right hook – and reason to use it.

We have no idea what counterpunches the Wilson campaign is cooking up. But we would be thunderstruck if he walks onto that stage with his guard down.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…

J. Mark Powell is an award-winning former TV journalist, government communications veteran, and a political consultant. He is also an author and an avid Civil War enthusiast. Got a tip or a story idea for Mark? Email him at mark@fitsnews.com.

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