South-Carolina
Greenville, Spartanburg judges vie for seat on SC Supreme Court, General Assembly to decide
Two Upstate judges are vying for the third seat on South Carolina’s Supreme Court.
Judge Letitia Verdin, from Greenville, and Judge Keith Kelly, from Spartanburg, are two out of six candidates seeking the spot left open by Greenville native John Kittredge, who was unanimously elected to be the next chief justice. The current Chief Justice Don Beatty, a native of Spartanburg, is set to retire in the summer after he turns 72, the state’s mandatory retirement age for judges.
Out of the candidates looking to be on the SC Supreme Court, three of them are women. Right now, South Carolina represents the lone state with an all-male Supreme Court in the nation.
The Judicial Merit Selection Commission will choose three of the candidates after a public hearing on May 9 and send the candidates to be voted on by a joint General Assembly.
Who are the candidates?
The legislature can choose to diversify the SC Supreme Court by selecting one of the three women, two of whom are women of color.
Candidates include:
- Administrative Law Court Chief Judge Ralph Anderson from Columbia
- State Appeals Court Judge Blake Hewitt from Conway
- Circuit Court Judge Deadra Jefferson from Charleston
- Circuit Court Judge Keith Kelly from Spartanburg
- Circuit Court Judge Jocelyn Newman from Columbia
- State Appeals Court Judge Letitia Verdin from Greenville
Greenville, Spartanburg judge’s qualifications
Judge Verdin graduated from Furman University in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology degree and went on to receive her Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina in 1997. She was then elected to the Family Court as a resident judge in the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit in 2008. In 2011, the South Carolina Legislature elected her to the 2nd seat of the Circuit Court and later elected her to the 2nd seat of the Court of Appeals in 2023.
Judge Kelly attended the University of South Carolina and cross-enrolled in the U.S. Army ROTC program at Wofford College, serving as Battalion Commander and graduated in 1981. He received his Juris Doctorate Degree from Mercer University in 1987 and returned to Spartanburg. Kelly is also a former member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, where he served on the SC House Judiciary Committee and was chairman of the Criminal Laws subcommittee.
Six-week abortion ban ruling
In 2023, the all-male Supreme Court faced criticism after reinstating South Carolina’s controversial six-week abortion law in a 4-1 ruling, with Chief Justice Don Beatty representing the lone dissent.
The ruling came after the SC Supreme Court’s lone woman justice, Kaye Hearn, retired due to state law term limits on judgeships in February 2023. When Hearn retired, Greenville’s Judge Gary Hill was elected and replaced the sole female judge.
Savannah Moss covers Greenville County politics and growth/development. Reach her at smoss@gannett.com or follow her on X @Savmoss.
An early-summer heat wave is producing some of the hottest temperatures of the year so far across the Carolinas, increasing the risk of heat-related illnesses and prompting the issuance of heat alerts.
A stout upper-level ridge of high pressure is expected to continue dominating conditions across the Southeast through at least the first half of the weekend.
The weather pattern will allow temperatures to climb well into the 90s across much of the Carolinas, while humidity levels push heat index values into the triple digits.
In Columbia, temperatures are forecast to reach 99 degrees on Friday and 98 degrees on Saturday afternoon, making it one of the warmest locales.
The expected temperatures will come within about one degree of the daily record high of 100 degrees, which was set back in 1977.
While nearly all communities will fall short of setting new records, the combination of the heat and humidity is expected to create dangerous conditions for those spending extended time outdoors.
Heat index values, which account for both the air temperature and humidity, are expected to exceed 100 degrees across parts of the state on Friday and Saturday.
National Weather Service forecasters noted that early-season heat can be more dangerous than similar conditions later in the summer because many people have not yet become acclimated to warm temperatures.
The NWS has issued a Heat Advisory for portions of the Pee Dee through 8 p.m. Friday, where heat index values could reach as high as 106 degrees.
In the alerted areas, residents who must be outdoors are encouraged to move strenuous activities to the early morning or evening hours when temperatures are somewhat cooler.
Additionally, wearing lightweight, loose-fitting clothing and drinking plenty of water throughout the day can help lessen the impacts of the heat.
NOAA’s HeatRisk index has placed much of South Carolina in its “major” heat risk category, which is a Level 3 out of 4 on its scale.
The designation indicates weather conditions could significantly impact those without effective air conditioning or adequate hydration.
The first signs of relief are expected to arrive late in the weekend and early next week as precipitation chances increase with an approaching frontal boundary.
South-Carolina
Live stream: Republican South Carolina governor candidates debate live ahead of primary runoff election
CONWAY, S.C. (WBTV) – The top two Republican candidates for South Carolina governor will debate live one week before their primary runoff election.
Republican candidates Pamela Evette and Alan Wilson will debate live on Tuesday, June 16 before their runoff election on June 23. You can watch the debate live starting at 7 p.m. in the video player up above.
In the state’s primary election on June 9, none of the Republican governor candidates had acquired enough votes to hold a majority and avoid a runoff.
Evette, the current South Carolina lieutenant governor, and Wilson, the current state attorney general, received the most votes in the primary. They will go head-to-head in a runoff election to determine the Republican nominee for the general election.
With Evette and Wilson headed to a runoff, the remaining candidates were knocked out of the Republican primary race for governor, including:
- U.S. Representative Nancy Mace
- U.S. Representative Ralph Norman
- Businessman Rom Reddy
State Senator Joshua Kimbrell and candidate Jacqueline Hicks DuBose both appeared on the Republican primary ballot, but were no longer in the running by Election Day.
By Thursday, June 11, Evette held nearly 29% of the vote, while Wilson held about 26%. All of the remaining candidates held below 20% of the vote.
In South Carolina, a candidate must hold 50% majority, plus one vote, in order to avoid a runoff. The winner of the runoff between Evette and Wilson will face the winning Democratic governor candidate Jermaine Johnson.
—> Read more: AP: State Rep. Jermaine Johnson is projected winner of 2026 Democratic primary for South Carolina governor
The primary runoff election will take place on Tuesday, June 23. One week prior, candidates Evette and Wilson will debate live at Coastal Carolina University.
The June 16 debate is the fourth of multiple gubernatorial debates that WBTV was streaming live this primary election cycle in South Carolina.
The South Carolina GOP has partnered with WBTV’s parent company Gray Media to broadcast and live stream a series of Republican debates surrounding the 2026 primary election. The June 16 debate will only be available to stream on WBTV, and won’t be broadcast in the Charlotte region.
How to watch on WBTV
You can watch the June 16 debate live using in the video player at the top of this article.
You can also find the debate on our live stream online right here, on our free app. Just search “WBTV” in the app store on your device.
The debate will only be available to WBTV viewers on streaming. The debate will run form 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
On Tuesday, June 16, WBTV’s regular 7 p.m. newscast and 7:30 p.m. On Your Side Tonight show will not be available on stream due to the debate.
The South Carolina GOP debates are broadcast and streamed by several other Gray Media news stations in the state and surrounding states.
A look at the Republican candidates for governor
The following Republican candidates filed to run for South Carolina governor this year:
- Jacqueline Hicks DuBose
- Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette
- State Sen. Joshua Kimbrell
- U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace
- U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman
- Rom Reddy
- State Attorney General Alan Wilson
Three Democratic candidates also ran for governor of South Carolina in the primary election. State Rep. Jermaine Johnson won the Democratic nomination for governor in the June 9 primary, in which he faces an uphill battle: The state has not seen a Democratic governor since 2003.
The general election for South Carolina, and all other states, will take place on Nov. 3, 2026.
Three third-party candidates were expected to run in the fall, including: one Green Party candidate, one United Citizens Party candidate, and one Workers Party candidate.
Current-Gov. Henry McMaster (R) was not running for reelection in 2026 due to term limits. McMaster endorsed Lt. Gov. Evette in this election.
About Evette, Wilson
Here’s a look at the final two Republican candidates running for South Carolina governor.
Pamela Evette
Pamela Evette is the current lieutenant governor of South Carolina, and has held the position since 2019. She also owns a business in the city Travelers Rest.
Evette describes herself as a “staunch Trump conservative.” Her platform has included eliminating the state income tax, creating a “government efficiency” department, restricting abortion, limiting Chinese companies’ presence in South Carolina, and overall aligning with President Donald Trump’s agenda.
She received Trump’s endorsement in this election.
Alan Wilson
Alan Wilson is the current attorney general of South Carolina, and has served in that role since 2011. He’s the longest-serving attorney general in state history.
He has previously served as an assistant attorney general, and is a combat veteran.
Wilson’s platform includes supporting Trump administration-aligned policies, including ending funding for gender-affirming care, ending birthright citizenship and supporting anti-abortion laws.
Click here for more South Carolina news
Copyright 2026 WBTV. All rights reserved.
The South Carolina Buc-ee’s is off Interstate 95 in Florence. The interstate also cuts through North Carolina.
The 53,000-square-foot outlet that opened in 2022 draws customers from North Carolina, which has not had a Buc-ee’s. But that’s about to change, after the Texas-based chain broke ground Wednesday on a location in Mebane.
For travelers, there’s a lot of reasons to stop at the store. For instance, there’s the 120 gas pumps. And electric charging stations.
Most folks, though, want to know what to expect when they go inside. Beverly Mahone, a writing consultant from Durham, was a recent visitor to the Florence Buc-ee’s.
“A Target, WalMart, gas station all rolled into one,” she said. “There’s so much, from the moment we got into the parking lot.”
“We were greeted immediately,” she said. “Soon as we walked in the door, someone said, ‘Welcome to Buc-ee’s.’ And that was a good impression to me.”
Many people say their nose attracts them right to the center of the store. There’s food, food, food, and a treasure trove of jerky.
“There was many different types of jerky that I had never imagined they could make jerky,” Mahone said. “You know, there was garlic parmesan, and then there was some jalapeño honey.”
Managers say whatever travelers need, they find here.
“We should be able to take care of everybody in that car that’s out on the road,” said Kirk Boerner. He’s the district manager for Buc-ee’s.
“Different things from barbecue to chicken tenders, to dessert cups, package candy,” he said. “Whatever you want for your trip, we’re going to have at Buc-ee’s.”
Construction on the Mebane store is expected to finish in 2027. It will be bigger than the Florence outlet, at 74,000 square feet.
Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.
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