Joe Lombardo cruises past six GOP challengers to secure Nevada Republican gubernatorial nomination
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo secured the Republican nomination for a second term Tuesday, defeating six GOP challengers and advancing to the general election as Democrats vie for the chance to reclaim the governor’s mansion in November. The first-term governor entered the primary as the overwhelming favorite. Lombardo, a former Clark County sheriff, was elected governor in 2022 when he defeated Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak, becoming the only Republican challenger to unseat an incumbent Democratic governor that year. He now heads into the general election against the Democratic nominee, who will emerge from a primary field that includes state Attorney General Aaron Ford and Washoe County Commissioner Alexis Hill. 2026 MIDTERMS: PRIMARIES, KEY RACES AND ELECTION RESULTS Lombardo defeated a field of mostly lesser-known Republican challengers that included Donald Beaudry Jr., Irina Hansen, Kameron Hawkins, Matthew Winterhawk, Jose Zelaya and Barak Zilberberg. Beaudry Jr., a financial engineer, is a hedge fund manager and founder of an artificial intelligence company. He campaigned on his private-sector experience. Hansen, a realtor and small-business owner who previously ran for mayor of Las Vegas, positioned herself as an outsider candidate challenging the political establishment. Winterhawk, a businessman and nonprofit founder, entered the race as a political newcomer and also promoted himself as an alternative to Nevada’s political establishment. REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR TARGETED BY DEMOCRATS LAUNCHES RE-ELECTION BID IN KEY BATTLEGROUND Hawkins, a Navy veteran, publisher and conservative activist, previously sought the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor of Nevada in 2022. Zelaya, a real estate investor who also sought a bid in the GOP race in 2022, maintained a relatively low public profile throughout the campaign and released limited information about his candidacy. The race for the governor’s mansion in Nevada is among the most closely watched gubernatorial contests of the 2026 midterm election cycle. The winner in the key swing state could gain national prominence ahead of the 2028 presidential election and help shape their party’s political strategy in Nevada. It also comes as Democrats try to flip back the mansion after losing it in 2022. With no U.S. Senate race on Nevada’s ballot this cycle, the governor’s race has served as the state’s marquee contest and the primary driver of campaign advertising spending. Beyond the gubernatorial race, Nevada voters also weighed in on primaries for U.S. House seats and a variety of state offices, while voters in Henderson, Nevada’s second-largest city, cast ballots in the city’s mayoral election.
South Carolina GOP race to replace Nancy Mace heads to runoff
Jenny Honeycutt, a business owner, and Mark Smith, a state legislator, advanced in a crowded GOP primary to replace outgoing Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., on Tuesday evening. Because no candidate garnered more than 50% of the vote needed to win outright, the primary now heads to a runoff that’s slated to take place on June 23. The vacancy arose when Mace, a firebrand conservative, announced her decision to run for governor of the Palmetto State. During her time in Congress, Mace has attracted attention for being one of the eight Republicans who voted with Democrats to remove former U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in 2023, for championing legislation on cybersecurity and forcing a vote on releasing the Epstein Files earlier this year. FIRST ON FOX: RETIRED AIR FORCE COLONEL WHO PILOTED LAST FLIGHT OUT OF AFGHANISTAN REVEALS NEW MISSION Mace, who has taken on a national profile, said she would look to continue her work at the state level. “South Carolina needs a governor who will drag the truth into sunlight and flip the tables,” Mace said during her announcement speech. S.C. 01, a safely Republican district, has been held by the GOP for much of the past forty years. Aside from Rep. Joe Cunningham, D-S.C., who held the seat from 2019 to 2021, Republicans have controlled the district since 1981. FIRST ON FOX: REPUBLICAN FIREBRAND NANCY MACE LAUNCHES BID FOR SOUTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR Mace last won reelection in 2024 in a 58.2% to 41.6% victory over Democratic challenger Michel Moore, a businessman. Honeycutt, who runs a law firm that helps clients navigate regulations, has positioned herself as a pro-family political outsider, highlighting issues like law and order, the country’s fiscal picture and family finances as key priorities on her website. According to FEC records, Honeycutt raised just north of $345,600 as of the end of May. Mark Smith, also a small business owner, led a funeral home service before running for the South Carolina House of Representatives. He has served in state legislator since 2020, and, according to his biography, helped cut taxes and support local law enforcement in that role. Smith garnered $750,700 in campaign donations, according to FEC records. WATCH: MACE SAYS TRUMP’S ENDORSEMENT HASN’T SEALED SC GUBERNATORIAL RACE: ‘IT’S A DOG FIGHT’ A third contender in the race, Jay Byars, raised $220,600. He began a political career in 2011 when he was elected to the Dorchester County Council and has remained in the job for four terms. On the private side, Byars began several companies, including a storage service and Good Faith Caregivers, a home care business. Notably, Mace has not endorsed in the race to replace her.
Collins secures GOP nod in Maine Senate battle that could decide GOP majority
As she runs for a sixth six-year term in the U.S. Senate in left-leaning Maine, Republican Sen. Susan Collins is now officially her party’s nominee in a crucial race that’s one of a handful across the country that will determine whether Republicans keep control of their slim Senate majority. Collins can toss the “presumptive nominee” title after formally landing her party’s nomination on Tuesday by running unopposed in Maine’s Senate GOP primary. As she fights for re-election, the 73-year-old Collins is once again a top target for Democrats as they aim to win back the Senate majority in this year’s midterms. “I have been the No. 1 target of Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, not only in this campaign, but the last two campaigns as well. I’m always his No. 1 target,” Collins said in a recent Fox News Digital interview. SIX MONTHS TILL MIDTERMS: THE TEN RACES THAT WILL DETERMINE THE SENATE’S MAJORITY Facing Collins will be military veteran and oyster farmer Graham Platner, the all-but-certain Democratic nominee after two-term Gov. Janet Mills, who was backed by Schumer and the Democratic Party establishment, dropped out of the race earlier this spring after significantly trailing Platner in fundraising and polling. While Collins has focused on her Senate agenda, and on Friday she received bipartisan praise after reaching a milestone by casting her 10,000th consecutive Senate vote, Platner has been playing defense amid multiple controversies, ranging from inflammatory online comments made on Reddit, a well-publicized and now covered-up tattoo on his chest that resembled a Nazi symbol, to new allegations last week from ex-girlfriends of a history of rape fantasies, heavy drinking and violent episodes. Platner, who has acknowledged his battle with post-traumatic stress disorder from his four tours of duty in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, has said he’s “been open about what was a very dark period of my life where I struggled with undiagnosed PTSD, too often self-medicated with alcohol, and was a far from perfect boyfriend.” DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB “I take responsibility for all of that, and wish I had been better. Any characterization beyond that is false, and I believe, politically motivated,” Platner added. “I’m not proud of who I was then, but I am proud of the work I’ve done since, and the movement we are building in Maine.” The candidate apologized for his controversial Reddit posts after they made headlines last fall soon after he launched his Senate campaign. Platner has said he got the skull and crossbones tattoo in 2007 while drinking with fellow Marines stationed in Croatia. He said that he covered up the tattoo with a new design after learning last year that it resembled a Nazi symbol. But new allegations raise questions about Platner’s timeline regarding knowledge of the tattoo. ‘HE HATED WOMEN’: EXPLOSIVE ABUSE, NEW NAZI TATTOO ALLEGATIONS FROM EXES ROCK PLATNER’S CAMPAIGN Platner, who is supported by progressive champions Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and Rep. Ro Khanna of California, is pushing an economically populist agenda as he takes aim at corporate influences and advocates for the working class. Asked if Platner is too far to the left for voters in her northern New England state, Collins recently told Fox News Digital, “I believe that will be the conclusion of Maine voters. But, obviously, I don’t take anything for granted.” Collins said that when it comes to her Democratic challenger’s growing political baggage, “Obviously, I’m going to be contrasting my record of achievement and accomplishments with Graham Platner’s approach.” An outside political group aligned with the senator has already been blasting Platner, running ads spotlighting his multiple controversies. Platner, who is running as an outsider, emphasizes that Collins is part of a “broken Washington” and “a generation of politicians who have failed us.” He has described Collins’ moderate Republican image as a “charade,” highlights her support for some of President Donald Trump’s agenda and accuses her of being part of a political system that benefits the wealthy. “She and Republican politicians like her have prioritized the interests of billionaires and corporations over people,” he has charged. Republicans — as the party currently in power in Washington, D.C. — were already up against traditional political headwinds that typically lead to a loss of congressional seats. Add to that the challenging climate fueled by persistent inflation, rising gas prices tied to what polls show is an unpopular war with Iran and Trump’s underwater approval ratings. Asked how she can overcome the blame pointed at Republicans over the high cost of living, Collins recently told Fox News Digital she’s championed the low-income heating assistance program, which “helps low-income families and seniors stay warm during the cold winter months. I just recently made sure the final tranche of money was released because there is a lot of need in the state of Maine, and the cost of living is high here.” Collins also emphasized her opposition to cuts “in food stamp benefits and in other programs that are designed for low-income families because I know how important they are.” The latest public opinion polls point to a competitive contest between Collins and Platner. But Collins has a history of defeating the Democrats’ efforts to oust her from the Senate. Six years ago, she trailed Democratic challenger Sara Gideon, the then-Maine House speaker, but the senator ended up winning re-election by nearly nine points. Pointing to the expected wave of attack ads targeting her, Collins said, “Fortunately, the people of Maine are smart, and they know lies and distortions when they see it.”
Trump administration to offer ‘premium’ expedited visa interviews for $750
The State Department will begin offering a “premium” expedited service allowing foreign business and tourist visa applicants to come to the U.S. to secure interview appointments within 10 days at select U.S. embassies and consulates for an additional $750 fee. The department will unveil a pilot program that will allow applicants to pay the $750 fee on top of the standard $185 visa application fee to schedule an interview at select embassies and consulates within 10 days of payment, according to a notice set to be published in the Federal Register this week, The Associated Press reported. The program will run from July 1 to Dec. 31 but could be extended depending on demand, according to the outlet. STATE DEPARTMENT TO ASK FOR BONDS OF UP TO $15,000 FOR VISA APPLICATION FROM A DOZEN MORE COUNTRIES The embassies and consulates participating in the program are expected to be announced before July 1. The new expedited service could help reduce visa interview wait times amid broader Trump administration changes to visa screening and compliance rules. FOREIGN TRAVELERS SOON TO PAY ‘VISA INTEGRITY FEE’ TO VISIT US COSTING $250 The federal government has expanded several visa screening and compliance measures, including requiring bonds of up to $15,000 for visa processing in some countries it says have high overstay rates and requiring years of personal history information, such as social media accounts, to be disclosed. Those new requirements have contributed to delays in visa processing for foreigners in countries around the world. The fee for the expedited service does not guarantee that a person will receive a visa, but it could cut down on wait times for visa interviews for people in countries that are not part of the Visa Waiver Program, which can be at least several months. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Billionare Tom Steyer ends California governor campaign after falling short in Jungle Primary
Tom Steyer conceded California’s governor’s race Tuesday, saying it was clear he lacked the votes needed to move on to November. “It’s now clear that we do not have the votes necessary to advance to the general election in November,” Steyer wrote in a letter posted on X. A week after California’s jungle primary, the field has narrowed to two candidates. Former Fox News host Steve Hilton will face former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra in the November gubernatorial election. The billionaire hedge fund founder-turned-environmental activist entered the race after spending more than a decade involved mostly in state politics and environmental activism. Steyer, who has spent more than $200 million of his own fortune on his gubernatorial campaign, previously lost his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020. FORMER HHS SECRETARY XAVIER BECERRA ADVANCES TO CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR GENERAL ELECTION, AP PROJECTS During the gubernatorial campaign, he embraced a progressive platform, calling for the abolition of ICE, hefty taxes on the wealthy and universal healthcare. He earned the endorsement of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who has previously railed against billionaires being involved in politics. Steyer argued that powerful corporate interests played a major role in the outcome of the race in his concession message. “By spending $55 million – the most ever against a single candidate in a California primary – they showed the lengths they would go to in order to protect a status quo that only serves them and their profits,” he wrote, referring to opposition spending by corporations including Chevron, PG&E and Meta. TRUMP-BACKED HILTON ADVANCES TO CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR SHOWDOWN WITH EX-BIDEN CABINET SECRETARY BECERRA “This campaign proved that business-as-usual depends on politics-as-usual, and there is no going back,” Steyer wrote. “We must continue to fight for a system where democracy serves Californians, not corporations – and where you do not have to be a billionaire to run on single-payer, or on breaking up monopolies, or on calling out a corrupt system when you see it.” California’s governor’s race is decided through a “jungle primary” system that pits all candidates against one another on the same ballot, regardless of party. The top two finishers advance to November’s general election, meaning candidates from the same party can ultimately face off in the final contest. .
Scandal-plagued Platner captures Democratic Senate nomination
BLUE HILL, Maine — He’s been facing one of the roughest stretches of his bid for the U.S. Senate, but Graham Platner on Tuesday captured the Democratic Party’s Senate nomination. Platner, a military combat veteran and oyster farmer who is backed by progressive champions Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and Rep. Ro Khanna of California, defeated two longshot rivals in Maine’s Democratic Senate primary, the Associated Press reports. “Susan Collins said she would only serve two terms, she’s now running for her sixth,” Platner told the crowd at the Blue Hill YMCA after he was declared the winner. “She has worked in politics longer than Joe Biden,” Platner said, positioning his campaign as a rebuke to the political establishment of both parties. “The truth is, Susan Collins doesn’t serve us. She serves Donald Trump. She serves the Epstein class.” The embattled Platner, who is facing numerous controversies, will now challenge moderate Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who was unopposed for the GOP nomination, in left-leaning Maine in this year’s midterm elections. The race is one of a handful across the country that will determine whether the GOP keeps control of its slim Senate majority. THE TEN RACES THAT WILL DETERMINE THE SENATE’S MAJORITY Platner, who advocates an economically populist agenda as he takes aim at corporate influences and advocates for the working class, also topped two-term Democratic Gov. Janet Mills in the primary. The governor’s name remained on the ballot even though Mills, who had been backed by longtime Democratic Senate Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer and the Senate Democrats’ campaign arm, suspended her bid earlier this spring after significantly trailing Platner in fundraising and polling. “We’re going to win in November and we’re going to take power back for the people in this country,” Platner predicted Sunday night, at his final rally ahead of the primary. Platner has been playing defense the past month, amid multiple controversies. They include inflammatory online comments made on Reddit, a well-publicized and now covered-up tattoo on his chest that resembled a Nazi symbol, recent reports that he exchanged sexually explicit messages with several women while married, and new allegations last week from ex-girlfriends of a history of rape fantasies, heavy drinking and violent episodes. Platner has called the latest allegations of violence untrue. On Monday, a day before the primary election, a former high-level staffer from the Planter campaign wrote in the Washington Post that Platner “is not someone who would be good for Maine or for the country.” While the mounting controversies triggered some Democrats in the nation’s capital to question whether Platner was damaged goods, the candidate this past weekend thanked Maine voters for continuing to support him. “When hurtful things I said on the internet a decade ago came out into the public as I shared my personal journey through PTSD and darkness of recovery and accountability and growth. Maine had my back,” Platner said at a rally Friday not far from his hometown in Down East Maine. “Now, as every single piece of that past and journey gets dug up, litigated, and weaponized, you have my back. And when politically motivated, serious and false accusations are made against me. Maine, you have my back.” PLATNER TO SUPPORTERS: ‘MAINE, YOU HAVE MY BACK’ Platner, who has acknowledged his battle with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) from his three tours of duty in the war in Iraq with the Marines and one tour with the Army National Guard in Afghanistan, apologized for his controversial Reddit posts after some of them made headlines last fall soon after he launched his Senate campaign. And Platner has said he got the skull and crossbones tattoo in 2007 while drinking with fellow Marines stationed in Croatia. He said that he covered up the tattoo with a new design after learning last year that it resembled a Nazi symbol. But new allegations from an ex-girlfriend raise questions about Platner’s timeline regarding knowledge of the tattoo. Khanna, who organized Friday’s rally with Platner, was asked by Fox News Digital whether he’s concerned if the current allegations, and any potential future ones, could sink Platner’s campaign and hurt Democrats’ hopes of winning back the Senate. “I’m more concerned about making it clear that we’re opposed to misogyny, those relationships were toxic and volatile, there’s no excuse for that,” Khanna said. “I talked to Graham and he says he was at a very dark period, he had come back from two tours of duty in Iraq as an infantryman seeing violence and death. That doesn’t excuse it.” DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB But Khanna added that Platner said “he really grew as a person when he came back to Maine and he was an oyster farmer and he found peace and he is ashamed of that period. To me that suggests someone taking accountability and improving their lives and we need that redemption in this country. And I agree with a lot of his economic policies, that we should be taxing the billionaires, we should be focusing on the working class.” In his speech on Tuesday night, Platner attempted to frame himself as a changed man. “If you believe, as I do, that we can change our politics and change our country, then you must also believe that people can change,” Platner told the crowd. “And the reason I believe that is because I have lived it. And the reason that I have lived it is because of my wife.” Maine voters Fox News reporters spoke with ahead of the rally were divided on whether Platner’s controversies would impact their opinions of the candidate. Jeff from Waterboro, Maine said “it’s not a good situation” as he pointed to Platner. “I think it’s somebody who shouldn’t be in the mix. I am a conservative, but he’s just got so much damage, if the Democrats want to have a winner, they’re going to have to find somebody else. He’s not the
Navy admiral fired by Hegseth and local attorney advance to runoff in Dem primary to replace Nancy Mace
Nancy Lacore, a retired Navy vice admiral who was fired by Pete Hegseth, and Mac Deford, a local attorney, advanced to a runoff election on Tuesday evening amid a crowded Democratic primary to fill a congressional vacancy left behind by Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C. Because no candidate garnered more than 50% of the vote needed to win outright, the primary now heads to a runoff that’s slated to take place on June 23. Once having cleared the primary, the final candidate will look to become just the second Democrat to hold South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District in over 40 years by highlighting her military record as well as how she was removed from her post by War Secretary Pete Hegseth. FOX NEWS PROJECTS DEMOCRATIC REP. DON DAVIS WILL WIN NORTH CAROLINA’S 1ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT The vacancy first came about when Mace, a firebrand conservative, announced her decision to run for governor of the Palmetto State. During her time in Congress, Mace has attracted attention for her willingness to break with her own party on high-profile issues. She was one of the eight Republicans who voted with Democrats to remove former U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in 2023 and one of four GOP lawmakers who forced a vote on releasing the Epstein Files earlier this year. Mace said she would look to continue her work as a political maverick at the state level. “South Carolina needs a governor who will drag the truth into sunlight and flip the tables,” Mace said during her announcement speech. WATCH: MACE SAYS TRUMP’S ENDORSEMENT HASN’T SEALED SC GUBERNATORIAL RACE: ‘IT’S A DOG FIGHT’ S.C.’s first, a relatively safe Republican district, has been held by the GOP for much of the past 40 years. Aside from Rep. Joe Cunningham, D-S.C., who held the seat from 2019 to 2021, Republicans have controlled the district since 1981. Mace last won re-election in 2024 in a 58.2% to 41.6% victory over Democratic challenger Michael Moore, a businessman. To turn the tables and flip the seat, Lacore has pitched herself as an anti-politics civil servant. Lacore originally served as a Navy pilot and finished her career as a three-star admiral before being removed by Hegseth, a decision Lacore has characterized as “without cause.” Her firing came as the Trump administration carried out efforts to reform the Department of Defense and coincided with the dismissals of other high-level figures like Lt. Gen. Kennedy Kruse, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, and Rear Adm. Milton Sands, commander of the Naval Special Warfare Command. All three were relieved of their duties on Aug. 22, 2025. NAVY VETERAN ROCKY ROCHFORD SEEKS TO TURN TAMPA BAY RED, UNSEAT 20-YEAR HOUSE INCUMBENT “For 35 years, I served in the United States Navy with the belief that service, honor and integrity matter; that these are the qualities of true leaders,” Lacore said in a campaign video. “But it’s not what our political leaders believe today.” She has raised $1.4 million as of late May, according to FEC records. Deford, for his own part, presented himself to voters as a pragmatic candidate. On his website, he highlighted a track record serving as the Town of Mount Pleasant’s Associate General Counsel and advising it through the COVID-19 Pandemic, a housing initiative and navigating federal funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). “This isn’t a political stop for me. This is home and I want to serve as your next representative in Washington,” Deford said in a campaign video. According to FEC records, Deford raised $547,800.
Trump’s endorsement power faces another GOP test in South Carolina after Alan Wilson advances
One week after President Donald Trump‘s endorsement-winning streak in high-profile Republican primaries was snapped, the president’s immense clout over the GOP was on the line again, this time in South Carolina. And the president easily passed the test. The candidate Trump endorsed in the Palmetto State’s GOP gubernatorial primary, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, finished first in a crowded field of candidates and clinched one of the two tickets in the race for the nomination, the Associated Press reported on Tuesday. Evette, who repeatedly spotlighted Trump’s support, now advances to a Republican runoff election in two weeks against South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, the second place finisher, in the race to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Henry McMaster. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB Since no candidate topped 50% of the primary vote to land a majority, Evette and Wilson will battle for the nomination in the June 23 runoff, and the winner will be considered the clear favorite in the general election in the solidly red southeastern state. Meanwhile, in the South Carolina GOP Senate primary, longtime Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham did win a majority of the vote, and will avoid a runoff, the Associated Press reported. Graham, who was endorsed by Trump, was facing primary challenges from five candidates, including conservative businessman Mark Lynch, who took aim at the senator over his support for the war in Iran. Lynch was backed by some MAGA leaders who have been critical of the president. Graham’s campaign and allied political groups spent nearly $20 million to highlight Trump’s support. And the president joined Graham and Evette for a primary eve tele-rally. While he wasn’t on the ballot, Trump’s immense clout over the GOP was facing another key test in South Carolina. The brute force of the president’s endorsement power has been on display in GOP primaries over the past month, with his candidates ousting incumbents he targeted in showdowns in Indiana, Louisiana, Kentucky and Texas that grabbed plenty of national attention. But his 11th-hour endorsement of Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra of Iowa a week and a half ago — which came on the same day he also backed Evette — in the race to succeed retiring GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds wasn’t enough to muscle the three-term congressman to victory. TRUMP-ENDORSED FEENSTRA CONCEDES TO MAHA-BACKED LAHN IN GOP GOVERNOR PRIMARY UPSET Feenstra was narrowly edged by Zach Lahn, a businessman, farmer and former political strategist who was backed by the political wings of MAHA — the acronym for the Make America Healthy Again movement aligned with Trump Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — and Turning Point USA, the powerful conservative organization co-founded by the late Charlie Kirk. In the South Carolina GOP gubernatorial primary, the major contenders had long been highlighting their support for Trump and his agenda, in hopes of landing his support. Trump, after staying neutral for months, endorsed Evette, praising her as an “America First Patriot” and a “WINNER” in his announcement. After Trump backed Evette, Mace said that her very vocal push last year for the Justice Department to release the files related to its probe into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein contributed to the president’s backing of her rival. “I know I put the likelihood of an endorsement on the line when I demanded transparency on the Epstein files,” the lawmaker wrote. “I demanded it because you deserved the truth — ALL OF IT,” Mace emphasized in a post on X. Trump, in a social media post endorsing Evette, also said he expected Evette to choose Henry McMaster Jr., the governor’s son, as her running mate for lieutenant governor. The comment by the president led to blowback in South Carolina political circles and speculation that McMaster, who succeeded then-Gov. Nikki Haley when she stepped down to serve as U.N. ambassador during Trump’s first term and who is in his 10th year as governor, was trying to give his son a political boost. But McMaster denied any deal or pressure, and Evette has said she wouldn’t name any running mate until after the primary is over. And on Friday, the younger McMaster took his name out of contention, saying it was “incredibly humbling” to be mentioned as a possible lieutenant governor candidate, but that “now is simply not the right time.” But the episode didn’t appear to sidetrack Evette. Either Evette or Wilson will face off in November against state Rep. Jermaine Johnson, who captured the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.
Trump rekindles endorsement winning streak as GOP gubernatorial hopeful advances to runoff
One week after President Donald Trump‘s endorsement-winning streak in high-profile Republican primaries was snapped, the president’s immense clout over the GOP was on the line again, this time in South Carolina. And the president easily passed the test. The candidate Trump endorsed in the Palmetto State’s GOP gubernatorial primary, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, finished first in a crowded field of candidates and clinched one of the two tickets in the race for the nomination, the Associated Press reported on Tuesday. Evette, who repeatedly spotlighted Trump’s support, now advances to a Republican runoff election in two weeks against South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, the second place finisher, in the race to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Henry McMaster. . DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB Since no candidate topped 50% of the primary vote to land a majority, Evette and Wilson will battle for the nomination in the June 23 runoff, and the winner will be considered the clear favorite in the general election in the solidly red southeastern state. Meanwhile, in the South Carolina GOP Senate primary, longtime Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham did win a majority of the vote, and will avoid a runoff, the Associated Press reported. Graham, who was endorsed by Trump, was facing primary challenges from five candidates, including conservative businessman Mark Lynch, who took aim at the senator over his support for the war in Iran. Lynch was backed by some MAGA leaders who have been critical of the president. Graham’s campaign and allied political groups spent nearly $20 million to highlight Trump’s support. And the president joined Graham and Evette for a primary eve tele-rally. While he wasn’t on the ballot, Trump’s immense clout over the GOP was facing another key test in South Carolina. The brute force of the president’s endorsement power has been on display in GOP primaries over the past month, with his candidates ousting incumbents he targeted in showdowns in Indiana, Louisiana, Kentucky and Texas that grabbed plenty of national attention. But his 11th hour endorsement of Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra of Iowa — which came on the same day he also backed Evette — in the race to succeed retiring GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds wasn’t enough to muscle the three-term congressman to victory. Feenstra was narrowly edged by Zach Lahn, a businessman, farmer and former political strategist who was backed by the political wings of MAHA — the acronym for the Make America Healthy Again movement aligned with Trump Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — and Turning Point USA, the powerful conservative organization co-founded by the late Charlie Kirk. TRUMP-ENDORSED FEENSTRA CONCEDES TO MAHA-BACKED LAHN IN GOP GOVERNOR PRIMARY UPSET In the South Carolina GOP gubernatorial primary, the major contenders had long been highlighting their support for Trump and his agenda, in hopes of landing his support. Trump, after staying neutral for months, endorsed Evette, praising her as an “America First Patriot” and a “WINNER” in his announcement. After Trump backed Evette, Mace said that her very vocal push last year for the Justice Department to release the files related to its probe into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein contributed to the president’s backing of her rival. “I know I put the likelihood of an endorsement on the line when I demanded transparency on the Epstein files,” the lawmaker wrote. “I demanded it because you deserved the truth – ALL OF IT,” Mace emphasized in a post on X. Trump, in a social media post endorsing Evette, also said he expected Evette to choose Henry McMaster Jr., the governor’s son, as her running mate for lieutenant governor. The comment by the president led to blowback in South Carolina political circles and speculation that McMaster, who succeeded then-Gov. Nikki Haley when she stepped down to serve as U.N. ambassador during Trump’s first term and who is in his 10th year as governor, was trying to give his son a political boost. But McMaster denied any deal or pressure, and Evette has said she wouldn’t name any running mate until after the primary is over. And on Friday, the younger McMaster took his name out of contention, saying it was “incredibly humbling” to be mentioned as a possible lieutenant governor candidate, but that “now is simply not the right time.” But the episode didn’t appear to sidetrack Evette. Either Evette or Wilson will face off in November against state Rep. Jermaine Johnson, who captured the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.
Trump ally Lindsey Graham survives challenge from GOP’s anti-establishment wing
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., squeaked out a win Tuesday night in a crowded primary race for the Republican nomination in the Palmetto State. Though there were six candidates, the contest truly fell between Graham and businessman Mark Lynch. Their primary battle again brought forth the ongoing feud within the GOP, pitting Trump-aligned candidates against the edges of the president’s own MAGA movement. Graham is running for a fifth term in the upper chamber and is fresh off successfully advancing the GOP’s $70 billion immigration enforcement package. He’s now headed to the general election in November, where he’ll face off against Dr. Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, who survived a three-way primary contest in South Carolina on Tuesday. TRUMP ENDORSES SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM FOR RE-ELECTION: ‘HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN’ He is also one of President Donald Trump’s most ardent allies in the Senate and was endorsed by the president early last year. Meanwhile, Lynch was recently endorsed by Trump’s former National Counterterrorism Center director, Joe Kent. “He is the America First candidate,” Kent said in an endorsement video on X. “He’s gonna keep us out of all these foreign wars, and he is the best postured right now to get the warhawk neocon Lindsey Graham out of office.” TRUMP SCORES VICTORY DESPITE GROWING GOP DIVIDE AFTER SENATE PASSES $70B ICE, BORDER PATROL FUNDING PACKAGE Lynch also called for “more MTGs, Gaetzes and Massies” in Congress, referring to former Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Gaetz and one of Trump’s biggest critics in the GOP, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky. Both Greene and Massie have evolved into some of the most vocal critics of Trump and the administration. Massie, however, was felled last month in a hotly-contested primary race in Kentucky by a Trump-backed candidate. FOUR SENATE REPUBLICANS AGAIN UNITE WITH DEMS TO BLOCK TRUMP’S SAVE AMERICA ACT That alignment saw Trump go after Lynch on Truth Social, where he called on Palmetto State voters to buck him for Graham. “Senator Lindsey Graham is doing a fantastic job,” Trump said. “He is running against a LUNATIC named Mark Lynch, who supports perhaps the Worst Congressman in the History of our Country, Thomas Massie, of the Great Commonwealth of Kentucky.” “I don’t have to go into great detail, but needless to say, Mark Lynch would be a DISASTER for the Republican Party, and Lindsey Graham just, GETS THE JOB DONE,” he continued. “VOTE FOR LINDSEY ALL THE WAY. MAGA!”