With 3rd quarter fundraising reports in, who has edge in SC GOP governor’s race
Republican hopefuls for governor filed their first significant fundraising report in the race for the GOP nomination in next year’s election. And everyone is adding their spin to what’s in the reports to push that they have the momentum in the race.
So who’s leading in the financial race? It depends on how you look at the numbers.
The quarterly reports require candidates to say how much money they brought in, how much they spent, what was money used for, who gave them money, where donors live and how much cash is on hand at the end of the quarter.
Campaign income?
From July 1 through Sept. 30, the state’s lieutenant governor brought in the most money for her campaign to succeed Gov. Henry McMaster.
- Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette: $1.41 million
- U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman: $1.31 million
- Attorney General Alan Wilson: $1.29 million
- U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace: $1.07 million
- State Sen. Josh Kimbrell: $18,500
But not all of that money came from donors. Evette and Norman, who have their own deep pockets, each lent their campaigns money. Evette lent $300,000 to her campaign. Norman lent his campaign $500,000.
And not all of Wilson’s contributions necessarily were given to him during the third quarter. His campaign said about $260,000 was transferred over from his attorney general account. Each transfer requires permission from the previous donors and counts towards the contribution limit for this cycle.
Cash on hand
The key number may not be how much was raised, but rather how much money a campaign has to spend. At this point in a race, campaigns may try to save money so they have cash to burn in the immediate months before the June 9 primary. Not having to spend money early is a key advantage for any campaign.
- Norman: $1.12 million
- Wilson: $1.09 million
- Mace: $716,000
- Evette: $528,000
- Kimbrell: $6,800
“It appears the candidates who are anticipated to be ones with the best chance to contend for the nomination are not only reliably raising a lot of money - they are conscious of how they are spending it because cash on hand is an important signal of a campaign’s long-term viability and whether it will have what it needs for overhead, paid media and voter contact,” said Rob Godfrey, a longtime Republican strategist in South Carolina, but is not working for any campaign this cycle.
How many donors and where are they from
Mace capitalizing on small donations and her ability to appear on cable news, by far had the most contributions in the third quarter of the year. She is using that number to tout she has grassroot support. Even though Mace had nearly as many South Carolina contributions as Evette, Norman and Wilson combined, most of her contributions and cash are from outside the state.
- Mace: 19,896 contributions
- Norman: 932 contributions
- Evette: 866 contributions
- Wilson: 527 contributions
- Kimbrell: 7 contributions
But how many of those contributions came from South Carolina?
- Mace: 1,673 contributions
- Norman: 738 contributions
- Evette: 539 contributions
- Wilson: 437 contributions
- Kimbrell: 6 contributions
More donation stats
Small donations often say how much grassroots support a person has, but a larger donation from one individual does go further.
Evette
- Average donation: $1,288.11
- Median donation: $500
- Most common donation: $3,500
Kimbrell
- Average donation: $2,642.85
- Median donation: $3,500
- Most common donation: $3,500
Mace
- Average donation: $53.66
- Median donation: $10.41
- Most common donation: $27.07
Norman
- Average donation: $867.32
- Median donation: $104.10
- Most common donation: $3,500
Wilson
- Average donation: $2,446.92
- Median donation: $3,500
- Most common donation: $3,500
Expenses
While campaigns may try to save money for the stretch run, one campaign spent significantly more than others.
Evette’s campaign was the top spender during the third quarter. Her largest expense was on her advertising buys with more than $663,000 paid to Strategic Media Placement Inc. for “placed media,” according to ethics commission reports. The campaign promoted a $1 million ad blitz of digital and mail that is still ongoing, the campaign said. The ad buys by Evette’s campaign were meant to help boost her name ID in the state. Evette also had $10,540 in chargeback expenses listed for contributions that were in error.
Mace spent nearly $254,000 on digital marketing, more than $34,000 on credit card transaction fees and listed $17,800 in chargeback items.
Norman’s campaign also had to return more than $11,700 to donors for donations that were over the contribution limit, ethics commission records show. He also spent more than $11,000 on merchant fees to WinRed, the Republican Party’s fundraising processing platform.
Wilson’s campaign spent $10,800 on “online processing” mostly with WinRed, and more than $48,000 on consulting and digital ads.
- Evette: $869,000
- Mace: $351,000
- Wilson: $214,000
- Norman: $175,000
- Kimbrell: $18,500
Who’s leading in the polls?
Is all the money being raised and spent actually a sign of who’s leading in the race? Here’s what polls say with roughly eight months before the primary.
Several recently released polls show the race remains wide open. What’s common in the recent polls, a large chunk of voters remains undecided. What they don’t have in common is who is in the lead.
A Quantus Insight Poll released Oct. 7 had Wilson in the lead by one point over Mace, with Evette in third, Norman in fourth place Kimbrell in fifth place, when people who were leaning towards a particular candidate were included in totals; 16% were said they were undecided. The margin of error was 4.2%.
A Trafalgar Group poll released Oct. 6 had Evette in the lead by 4 points over Mace, with Wilson in third and Norman in fourth and Kimbrell in fifth place; 41.3% said they were undecided. The margin of error was 2.9%.
A poll by Co/efficient poll, a firm on Main Street in Kansas City, released Sept. 22 had Mace in the lead by 1 point over Evette, with Wilson in third and Norman in fourth, and Kimbrell in fifth place; 35% were undecided. The margin of error was 3.17%.
Coefficient, a Kansas City-based firm, but with a different address on Main Street, appeared on Evette’s expenditures for text messaging. The Evette’s campaign said the poll was independent of its campaign. “We just know it’s an independent poll that came out,” campaign spokesman Matt Goins said.
A Meeting Street poll, released by the Mace campaign in August, had Mace in the lead over Wilson by 9 points. Norman was in third, Evette in fourth and Kimbrell in fifth place; 26% were undecided. The margin of error was 4%.
An American Pulse Research & Polling survey released in July had Wilson in the lead over Mace by 5 points. Norman was in third place, Evette was in fourth and Kimbrell was in fifth place; 31% of respondents were undecided. The margin of error was 4.1%. That poll was conducted by Dustin Olson, who was the 2009-2010 campaign manager for U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, Alan Wilson’s father.
Wilson’s campaign promoted the poll after it was released but said it was not aware if the survey was taken on its behalf.
“People are beginning to put their antenna up,” said Scott Huffmon, director of the Winthrop University Poll. “People are starting to pay attention in the race. Part of the major reason they’re beginning to pay attention is not so much they’re beginning to sit down and say OK whom am I going to vote for governor and why, they’re beginning to take notice of all the stories coming (about) these candidates.”
Former S.C. Republican state party chairman Chad Connelly put it more succinctly.
“It’s wide open, it’s anyone’s game,” Connelly said.
Polls that have been released, however, do have some commonalities.
Mace has the highest name ID levels in each of the polls, but also has the highest unfavorables. She had a net favorable rating above water in three out of the five polls. Kimbrell, remains at the lowest name ID in the race.
In polls that give geographic breakdown, Norman is leading in the Charlotte-area, showing his base of his support is coming from the 5th Congressional district, which he represents. Wilson, a Lexington County Republican, leads in the Columbia-area.
Evette, of Traveler’s Rest, sees her highest support in the Upstate and the Pee Dee. She also owns a home in Myrtle Beach.
Mace, who was elected to the Lowcountry 1st Congressional District seat in 2020, leads in most polls in the Charleston-area.
“If I’m any candidate, I’m not overly wrapped up in these early numbers,” Godfrey said. “The biggest takeaway today is — not surprisingly — the number of people who are undecided or unfamiliar with the candidates. That represents a tremendous opportunity for each would-be governor. Candidates have the chance to better define themselves for the electorate and grow on the ballot test in the months ahead.”
Who are the public supporters?
While campaigns are hoping to eventually get the coveted endorsement from President Donald Trump, they’re already trying to portray strength with other backers.
Wilson touted a 250-member steering committee, rolled out endorsements from 23 Republican sheriffs, 40 elected officials in the Midlands, state Sen. JD Chaplin, and national conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt.
Kimbrell at his kickoff touted support from state Sen. Matt Leber, R-Charleston, and state Rep. David Martin, R-York.
Mace’s team has not released a list of supporters.
Early in his bid, Norman touted a list of 500 supporters from around the state. He also touted endorsements from the S.C. House Freedom Caucus, state Rep. Nathan Ballentine, former Gov. Nikki Haley and former U.S. Sen. Jim Demint.
Evette rolled out a list of 100 supporters and a fundraising committee of 59 people. She also has secured the backing of Mauldin Mayor Terry Merritt and North Myrtle Beach Mayor Marilyn Hatley, and kept Wilson from having a clean sweep of all the Republican sheriffs in the state when she got the backing of Edgefield County Sheriff Jody Rowland.
She also has lawmakers: state Sen. Jeff Zell, state Reps. Cal Forrest, Bill Hixon, Melissa Oremus, and Ways and Means Chairman Bruce Bannister have rolled out their Evette endorsements.
But Bannister said the race will come down to the candidates themselves.
“It’s going to be the candidate who’s going to have to win it or lose it on their own. Endorsements are fun and a good way to count,” Bannister said. “At the end of the day, the candidates have to appeal to the voters themselves.”
Where the consultants lined up?
Wilson has some of the most prominent names in the South Carolina political consultant world. He’s working with First Tuesday Strategies, Victory Enterprises, as well as McMaster 2022 campaign alum Kurt Pickhardt and SC GOP alum Claire Brady. Brady also previously worked for the attorney general’s office. Michael Mule and Lance Williams of Surge Public Affairs also were in attendance at Wilson’s kickoff.
Norman has Grayson Midkiff, who worked on Haley’s campaign for president, on his team. Evan Newman who was the state director for the Freedom Caucus network and worked for South Carolina Club for Growth. He also has paid Locked On Strategies for communications consulting, which is headed by Taylor Hall, who worked on John Warren’s 2018 campaign for governor. Norman also spent more than $30,000 with Basswood Research, a polling firm founded by Jon Lerner, a longtime political advisor to Haley.
Mace paid the most to Frontline Strategies based in Pennsylvania. Most of the $213,000 spent with the company was for digital marketing. She also has announced Austin McCubbin as a lead advisor on her 2026 campaign. He worked on her 2022 campaign and was Trump’s 2024 South Carolina state director.
Kimbrell is working with The Victory Network, a Summerville outfit run by C.J. Westfall,
Evette has tapped Megan Finnern to be her campaign manager. Among Finnern’s previous jobs are being a senior advisor to Evette in the lieutenant governor’s office and being the marketing manager for Quality Business Solutions, the company Evette founded.
Evette also is Sandpiper Strategies to help with fundraising. And she is working with Big Dog Strategies, which has Trump campaign alumni Justin Evans and Chris Grant.
How do the consultants decide for whom they wanted to work?
“For us, it’s largely a personal relationship and knowledge of that candidate many times being involved with a previous campaign that particular candidate has been involved in,” said Walt Whetsell, president of Starboard Communications, who is not working on any campaign governor this cycle. “Rarely it’s the size of the retainer or the fee a real factor.”
This story was originally published October 20, 2025 at 11:37 AM with the headline "With 3rd quarter fundraising reports in, who has edge in SC GOP governor’s race."
