Wilson Wins Runoff

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson won the Republican gubernatorial runoff, defeating Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette for the GOP nomination to replace term-limited Gov. Henry McMaster. Wilson advanced from a seven-candidate June primary into the runoff and quickly built a commanding lead as results came in, with outlets projecting his victory soon after polls closed. He now faces Democratic state Rep. Jermaine Johnson in the Nov. 3 general election, but Republicans are favored to retain the governor’s office in reliably red South Carolina. The race marks the state’s first open gubernatorial contest since 2010 and positions Wilson as the leading contender to govern one of the nation’s fastest-growing states.