SC’s Evette says Wilson doubled his salary. Here’s the context of the pay raise
When Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette celebrated her first place finish Tuesday in the Republican primary for governor, she turned her attention to going after her runoff opponent: South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson.
One of the hits in her prepared remarks was the pay raise Wilson received several years ago.
“If you want someone who more than doubled his taxpayer-funded salary while you struggle to make ends meet, then Alan Wilson might be for you,” Evette said to the crowd in Greenville and to the assembled television cameras for viewers to watch elsewhere.
It’s a remark that could resonate with voters worried about affordability issues. But it’s also a statement that’s missing context.
Evette and Wilson on Tuesday advanced to a June 23 runoff election for the GOP nomination for governor. The two-week battle is expected to be testy as the winner of the Republican nomination will be the favorite to win the general election in the first race where an incumbent is not the ballot for governor in 16 years.
It is true Wilson’s salary more than doubled when he was sworn in for his fourth term as attorney general in 2023. But Wilson didn’t give himself the raise. It was out of his control.
The decision was made by the 11-member Agency Head Salary Commission in an effort to be more competitive and attract candidates to run for statewide elected offices.
The commission is made up of eight lawmakers and three governor appointees. Among those on the commission are House Speaker Murrell Smith, Senate President Thomas Alexander, House Ways and Means Chairman Bruce Bannister and Senate Finance Chairman Harvey Peeler.
In 2022, the General Assembly passed a law to have the salary commission set the salaries of state constitutional officers except for governor and lieutenant governor. The attorney general’s office did not advocate for the bill. Prior to the new law, pay was set in statute.
The governor and lieutenant governor were removed from the legislation at the request of Gov. Henry McMaster who was running for reelection at the time. It prevented him from signing a bill that would have set in motion a pay raise for himself. All the statewide constitutional officers were up for election in 2022.
Those who served as attorney general, superintendent of education, treasurer, commissioner of agriculture, secretary of state and comptroller general however would eventually see pay increases from the $92,000 a year they were earning. The salary had last been adjusted in 1994.
With the law in place, officials’ pay would be based on a study of agency directors’ salaries, the roles of each office, the size of their departments and regional averages. A review would take place every four years and pay would be set before the start of each term.
After the 2022 general election, the commission approved raises for the six constitutional officers.
Among the raises, the superintendent of education’s salary was increased to $214,000. Wilson’s salary was increased to $208,000.
“The contrast could not be clearer: Alan chose to accept a taxpayer-funded pay raise, and Pamela chose to forgo the very same pay raise,” Evette spokesman Matthew Goins said in a statement. “Alan Wilson’s entire existence is built around scheming ways to get money out of South Carolinians’ wallets and into his and his campaign donors’ pockets.”
Wilson’s campaign shot back.
“Pam Evette quite literally made millions from promoting and teaching DEI practices,” Wilson deputy campaign manager Claire Brady said in a statement. “While Alan Wilson was serving a combat tour in Iraq, Evette and her now husband were leaving Ohio after he got caught defrauding his business partners and embezzling money. He now leads Pam’s business.”
Before the pay raise, 16 state solicitors earned more than the attorney general and some prosecutors in his office earned more than the attorney general.
With McMaster precluded from running for reelection this year, he signed a law that has the agency head salary commission set the pay for governor and lieutenant governor. The governor currently earns $106,000. The lieutenant governor currently earns $46,500. It’s likely the annual salary for the next governor and lieutenant governor will be increased before they take office in January. Salaries for those positions were last adjusted in 1994.
When pay levels for all statewide constitutional officers will be set has yet to be determined.
Statewide constitutional officers annual salaries
- Superintendent of Education: $214,000
- Attorney General: $208,000
- Treasurer: $164,000
- Agriculture Commissioner: $162,000
- Comptroller General: $151,000
- Secretary of State: $135,000
This story was originally published June 11, 2026 at 5:00 AM with the headline "SC’s Evette says Wilson doubled his salary. Here’s the context of the pay raise."
