As South Carolina’s 2026 gubernatorial primary season heats up, a new poll has thrown the Republican race into sharp relief, revealing shifting allegiances, the enduring influence of Donald Trump, and the fallout from a headline-grabbing airport incident. The survey, conducted by Atlanta-based Wick between November 24 and 26, 2025, polled 600 likely Republican primary voters to provide the first comprehensive snapshot of the contest since a recent controversy involving Congresswoman Nancy Mace.
Attorney General Alan Wilson now leads the pack with 22.2% support, according to data released on December 1, 2025. Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette trails in second place with 15.7%, followed by Congressman Ralph Norman at 12% and Congresswoman Nancy Mace at 10.5%. State Senator Josh Kimbrell is a distant fifth, garnering just 1.9% of support. Yet, the most striking number may be the 37.7% of voters who remain undecided, a figure that leaves plenty of room for surprises as the campaign progresses.
This poll comes on the heels of a widely reported incident at the Charleston Airport on October 30, 2025, involving Nancy Mace. According to incident reports obtained by FITSNews, Mace was “profanely belligerent and demeaning” toward officers of the Charleston Regional Aviation Authority (CRAA). The report claimed Mace repeatedly called the officers “fucking incompetent” and declared, “this is no way to treat a fucking U.S. representative.” She also asserted that “officers would never treat U.S. Senator Tim Scott the same way.” Mace’s tirade allegedly continued as she made her way to the gate, complaining for several minutes before boarding her flight.
The controversy has cast a long shadow over Mace’s campaign. Where she once polled in the 20% range earlier in the fall, her support has now been cut in half, according to Wick’s release. This is not the first poll to show her unfavorable ratings among GOP primary voters exceeding 47%—with 33.7% of respondents describing their view as “very unfavorable.” Yet, Mace’s name recognition remains unmatched; she has the lowest percentage of respondents saying they have “never heard of” her. Still, high visibility can be a double-edged sword, as her negative sentiment now outpaces her rivals.
Alan Wilson, by contrast, has emerged as the candidate with the “strongest image profile in the field,” as Wick’s pollsters put it. He enjoys a 48.7% favorable rating, with only 20.7% viewing him unfavorably. “(Wilson’s) high baseline name recognition and comparatively low share of undecided impressions position him as the early frontrunner,” the pollsters concluded. However, with such a significant pool of undecided voters, the race is far from settled. As campaigns ramp up outreach and the field narrows, there are “clear opportunities for multiple candidates to expand support heading into 2026.”
Pamela Evette, the lieutenant governor, holds steady in second place with 15.7% support and over 35% of respondents viewing her positively. She also ranks second for neutral sentiment, just behind Norman. Ralph Norman, meanwhile, has reason to be encouraged. After languishing near the bottom of earlier polls, he now claims 12% support. Still, more than 16% of respondents admit they have never heard of him, suggesting he has room to grow his profile. State Senator Josh Kimbrell, at just 1.9%, faces an uphill battle, with over 73% of respondents saying they’ve never heard of or hold a neutral opinion of him.
The poll also reveals much about the ideological makeup of South Carolina’s Republican electorate. Over 75% of respondents describe themselves as very or somewhat conservative, while 18% say they are moderate and just over 6% identify as somewhat or very liberal. Notably, more than 80% of those polled consider themselves “MAGA Republicans,” highlighting the continued sway of Donald Trump in the state’s politics.
Trump’s influence is likely to be decisive. Just over half of respondents strongly approve of the job Trump is doing as president, with another 19% somewhat approving. About 23% somewhat or strongly disapprove. As the candidates jockey for Trump’s endorsement, the poll underscores that such backing could tip the scales, especially with so many voters still undecided. In fact, Trump’s overall approval rating among these primary voters stands at a robust 76.3%, with 57.1% “strongly approving.”
The contest for Trump’s favor has already had repercussions on the campaign trail. On December 1, 2025, Nancy Mace’s campaign lost its lead consultant, Austin McCubbin, a former Team Trump operative. McCubbin resigned, accusing Mace of embracing the insurgent wing of the Republican Party led by Senator Rand Paul and Representative Thomas Massie—figures known for occasionally bucking the Trump administration in the name of the “America Only” agenda. White House loyalists have viewed this as a betrayal of Trump and the MAGA movement, and McCubbin’s departure has only added to the perception that Mace’s campaign is faltering.
For all the drama, the stakes could hardly be higher. As FITSNews points out, the GOP primary is the race to watch in South Carolina. Democrats have not won a gubernatorial election or a U.S. Senate race in the state since 1998, and they haven’t claimed a statewide office since 2006. That means the Republican nominee is all but assured of victory in the general election next November. Candidates will formally file for statewide office between March 15 and 30, 2026, with the primary set for June 9. If no candidate wins a majority, a runoff between the top two finishers will take place two weeks later, on June 23.
Wick’s poll, which carries a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points, offers only a snapshot in time. The “significant pool” of undecided voters, the volatility introduced by recent controversies, and the looming presence of Donald Trump all point to a primary season that remains wide open. As the campaigns intensify and the field continues to evolve, South Carolina’s Republican voters will ultimately decide which candidate—and which vision for the party’s future—will prevail.
For now, Attorney General Alan Wilson enjoys the early advantage, but with months to go and the political landscape shifting underfoot, every candidate knows the race is far from over.
