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.

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