Ralph Norman

ROCK HILL — U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman has endorsed Attorney General Alan Wilson in the Republican runoff for governor, giving Wilson a huge boost in counties around the Charlotte suburbs in his duel with Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette for the party nomination.

Norman's endorsement was coveted by both candidates and should carry a significant weight heading into the June 23 runoff.

The only other candidate beside Wilson or Evette to carry the vote in any county, Norman won a plurality of the vote in four different counties throughout his Fifth Congressional District as well as Evette's home county of Greenville, where all three candidates earned more than 20 percent of the vote.

A member of the House Freedom Caucus in Congress, Norman also remains closely intertwined with the South Carolina state chapter of the caucus, who have also been targets for endorsements by both campaigns in the closing days of the election.

Though South Carolina House Freedom Caucus co-founder Adam Morgan — of Greenville — announced last week he did not plan to endorse in the race, both Evette and Wilson have been actively competing for the backing of other members of the group's fiscal and socially conservative membership.

Evette last week announced the endorsement of former Freedom Caucus member Ashley Trantham as well as current member Chris Huff, both Republicans from Greenville. She also received endorsements from Freedom Caucus-aligned Reps. Bill Chumley — of Spartanburg — and Tigerville Republican Mike Burns. Wilson, meanwhile, earned endorsements from Freedom Caucus figures like Lexington Republican Jay Kilmartin, Fort Mill Republican Jackie Terribile and Newberry Republican Joe White, a leading proponent in the caucus for judicial reform.

Beyond the Freedom Caucus, the Rock Hill region is also anticipated to become a battleground in the final days of the campaign.

Both campaigns confirmed plans to The Post and Courier the morning of June 15 a concerted push in Norman's Fifth Congressional district in the coming days, while the York County chapter of conservative activist group Moms For Liberty -- arguably the most influential local chapter of the organization in the state -- had secured commitments from both candidates to appear in an online forum the day after the June 16 debate in Myrtle Beach.

Both are also competing for the endorsement of key politicians in the area. In addition to several of Norman's supporters in the Freedom Caucus, Evette has also secured the support of figures like Tommy Pope, a York Republican who currently serves as speaker pro tempore in the state House of Representatives. Wilson, meanwhile, has been locking up endorsements from multiple lawmakers in the Charlotte suburbs, including Republican House members Brandon Guffey, David Martin, Heath Sessions, and State Sen. Michael Johnson, an influential Fort Mill Republican.

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