Ralph Norman

South Carolina Republican gubernatorial candidates are holding numerous events in the Upstate ahead of the primary election.

U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman announced South Carolina Freedom Caucus founder Adam Morgan as his running mate.

Recent polling shows a tight race between Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, Attorney General Alan Wilson, and businessman Rom Reddy.

Candidates running for governor of South Carolina are packing their schedules with Upstate meet-and-greats with just one week until the primary elections.

Three Republicans running for governor campaigned in the Upstate on June 1, where they hosted events to connect with voters and make major campaign announcements. With six Republicans running for their party's nominations, candidates will try to connect with as many voters as possible before the election.

More: SC GOP governor candidates clash, agree on policy at Wofford debate

U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-District 5, held an early event at his Greenville office, where he announced Adam Morgan, the South Carolina Freedom Caucus founding chair, as his pick for a running mate. Morgan represented District 20 in the South Carolina House of Representatives, before running for Congress in 2024. He lost the Republican primary that year to U.S. Rep. William Timmons, R-District 4.

Norman said he chose Morgan for his conservative voting record and work with the South Carolina Freedom Caucus, one of the most conservative affiliations in the legislature.

"He will help me as true conservatives to criss cross this state and fight for South Carolina values," Norman said.

Norman is polling at about 16%, according to a recent survey by Atlanta-based polling site Trafalgar Group. The Trafalgar Group poll surveyed 1,125 likely Republican voters and had a 2.9% plus or minus margin of error. Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette led the poll with 19.9% of respondents' support, while Attorney General Alan Wilson and DOGE SC founder Rom Reddy earned 19.4% and 19%, respectively.

U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-District 1, polled at 14.6% while State Sen. Josh Kimbrell, R-Spartanburg, polled at 2.3%.

During his campaign event, Norman criticized Evette for not attending a South Carolina Republican Party sponsored debate at Wofford College on May 26. Evette will also not attend a SCETV sponsored debate on June 1.

"She will not come to the debates," Norman said. "That's like applying for a job and not showing up."

Evette, who was recently endorsed by President Donald Trump in the governor's race, held a string of events in the Upstate on June 1, including a meet-and-greet at Carson's Steak Warehouse in Anderson. She responded to Norman's comments by saying she has run her campaign her own way since the start.

She said she has held 200 events since joining the race in July 2025 and thinks getting out into the public and shaking hands with voters is the best way to connect to people.

"I just think that's the best way to relate to the people, (to) get out here, shake their hand, find out what's important to them and then make sure I answer their questions thoroughly," Evette said. "That's when you really make people passionate about what you believe in."

Evette has not yet confirmed her choice of a running mate. Trump hinted that it would be Henry McMaster, Jr., the son of Gov. Henry McMaster, in a Truth Social post announcing his endorsement of her, but Evette said she isn't ready to confirm a choice.

"My focus is on winning this primary," Evette said. "I'll take care of anything else and all the decisions after we win this primary."

Lowcountry businessman Rom Reddy has also planned numerous events in the Upstate this week, including a campaign rally at Bridgeway Station in Simpsonville at 6:30 p.m. Reddy joined the governor's race on the first day of candidate filing, March 16, and has seen tremendous growth in the polls over the past few months. A Trafalgar Group poll from May 7 reported him polling at roughly 10%, but the latest May 26 poll shows a nine percentage point jump.

Early voting in the primary election ends at 5 p.m. on Friday, June 5, and primary election day is June 9. Voters can find their polling places and their sample ballots on the South Carolina State Election Commission's website.

Bella Carpentier covers the South Carolina legislature, state, and Greenville County politics. Contact her at [email protected]