Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette brings her supporters, friends, and the people of South Carolina her 1st Quarter 2025 e-mail update.
In this edition, we share a few highlights of how Evette is supporting President Trump’s agenda in SC, featured news stories, how Team SC is working to fight SC wildfires + SC business features (large & small), non-profits who are making a difference, and a few personal updates.
Below is March 2025’s opening message from Lt. Gov. Evette.
A Message from Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette
If you’re like me, you can’t believe that it’s already March. 2025 is flying by, and a BIG part of that is how President Trump is taking action in the Oval Office at lightning speed. His dedication to keeping the promises he made and his drive to Make America Great Again is awe inspiring.
What a time to be an American — in the Golden Age!
I am committed to being an ally for our President in South Carolina. I will never stop pushing to keep the Palmetto State winning, today and well into the future!
Addressing the Berkeley County crowd, Greene spoke about her Protect Children’s Innocence Act, which would prohibit gender affirming care for minors and classify charges for doctors found to have conducted gender affirming care as felonies.
The bill, H.R. 1399, was referred to the Subcommittee on Health by the Committee on Ways and Means in December, with Rep. Jeff Duncan (SC-03) and William Timmons (SC-04) listed as Palmetto State cosponsors.
TheCongressional Equality Caucussaid Greene’s bill would “throw parents and doctors in jail” as House Republicans work to “implement Project 2025’s assault on LGBTQI+ Americans’ rights.”
PICKENS COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – Officials said the Table Rock Complex Fire has now crossed the state line into North Carolina.
The Table Rock Complex fire, made up of both the Table Rock and Persimmon Ridge Fires, has become the largest wildfire the upstate has ever seen.
“One thing I was briefed on this morning, is we’ve had the largest chemical water drops in state history for this fire,” said Pamela Evette, the Lt. Governor for the State of South Carolina.
On Saturday, state and local officials met to give an update on their ongoing containment efforts. Fire officials said they are continuing to strengthen containment lines to the east and west of the fire while conducting burn out operations.
“Our guys and ladies are working extremely hard out there. It’s very difficult working conditions. Anyone who has hiked around Table Rocks knows this is a very steep hilly country. It will wear you out on a normal day, much less when you’re fighting fires, but the morale of our folks is incredible,” said Scott Phillips with South Carolina Forestry Commission.
Officials said that this year’s fire season has been unprecedented because of another natural disaster.
“This is not an easy task, as we have a lot of fuel on the ground from Hurricane Helene which has posed extra challenges that they didn’t have to fight before,” Evette said.
Evette added the blaze is also a high priority for the federal government saying that “right now Table Rock is the number one fire in the country, that’s why you are seeing such an increase in federal resources, because we moved up to the number one fire.”
A statewide burn ban is still in effect in South Carolina.
DARLINGTON COUNTY, S.C. (WPDE) — The South Carolina Lt. Gov., Pamela Evette, traveled across the Palmetto State to visit several companies that hire young people.
On Friday, she was in Darlington County visiting Sonoco, which hires teenagers straight from the area’s schools.
The goal is to introduce them to career pathways early and give them job experience.
Darlington County School District works to prepare students for the workforce with programs like internships, career exploration and career awareness programs.
ABC15 spoke with two students who are involved in the program, one student who had been through it and another who is taking advantage of the program right now.
“The transition coming in as a teenager at 17 years old, I hadn’t really known a whole lot. And over the course of years between school and Sonoco and Darlington County itself, it helped me learn what I know now.”
ABC15 spoke to the Lt. Gov. who said it is a great effort to give students work experience for those who may not want to jump into college debt.
Event at Fort Dorchester Elementary highlights efforts in South Carolina
South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Vision to Learn President Ann Hollister attended a special event Friday, March 14, at Fort Dorchester Elementary School, celebrating the nonprofit’s success in providing vision care to children across South Carolina.
During the event, Evette and Hollister helped 20 students at the school try on their new glasses for the first time. This moment marked a milestone for Vision to Learn’s South Carolina program, which has provided more than 30,000 vision screenings, 12,000 eye exams and 10,000 pairs of glasses to students in need, all at no cost to the child or their family.
“Education is the gateway to success, and for students with vision issues, glasses are the gateway to learning,” Evette said. “I’m proud to partner with Vision to Learn to help ensure our children have access to the eye care they need to reach their full potential.”
Since its launch in 2021, Vision to Learn has expanded its reach in South Carolina, assisting students in Charleston and Dorchester counties. The program serves as one of the state’s most comprehensive school-based initiatives for children’s eye care.
“Vision to Learn has been a game changer for students in Dorchester County,” said Dorchester School District Two Interim Superintendent Chad Dougherty. “By providing eye exams and glasses to students where they are every day – at their neighborhood school – this effort has delivered access to care that was sorely lacking for many of our students.”
Vision to Learn, a national nonprofit founded in 2012, seeks to address the disparity in access to eye care, especially in low-income communities. According to the organization, about 1-in-4 children need glasses, but many go without the proper care. In South Carolina alone, an estimated 100,000 students lack the necessary glasses.
“More than 3 million children across the country go to school every day without the glasses they need,” said Vision To Learn Founder Austin Beutner. “Every child in every school, everywhere in the country, should have the glasses they need to succeed in school and in life.”
For more information on Vision to Learn and its programs, visit www.visiontolearn.org
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – Extremely early polling shows South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette with a slight lead among likely Republican voters in the state’s 2026 governor’s race.
The Trafalgar Group, an Atlanta-based political research group, polled 1,127 likely Republican voters between March 8-10 and found 31 percent of voters said they would vote for Evette.
U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, who represents South Carolina’s First Congressional District, locked in 29 percent while Attorney General Alan Wilson maintains a close third with 27 percent of the vote.
About 11 percent said they’d vote for Rep. Ralph Norman, who represents the state’s Fifth Congressional District.
While prospective candidates are starting to position themselves for a run at the governor’s mansion, no one has officially announced their intentions yet.
The same poll questioned voters on how they feel about a variety of issues, including the performance of the president, tort reform and changes to state income tax.
On President Donald Trump’s work in office so far, the poll showed 73.7 percent of South Carolina Republicans approve of how he’s handling the job.
The poll shows there’s strong support, nearly 65 percent, for House Bill H. 3497, which would reform liquor liability for bars and restaurants but less support for the current tort reforms in Senate Bill S.244. Nearly 55 percent of those polled said they view the bill unfavorably.
When it comes to eliminating the state income tax through House Bill 3733, more than 80 percent of people polled supported the idea. However, the question set sets up respondents to believe cutting state income tax would generate more revenue by spending cuts and making the state more competitive.
The polls also found strong support for an SC DOGE with about 75 percent of people saying they view House Resolution 3926 and Senate Resolution 318 favorably or very favorably. 44 percent said it’s their top legislative priority.Those who responded to the poll were primarily white and over the age of 65 with a near even split between men and women.
HORRY COUNTY, SC (WMBF) – South Carolina Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette visited Carolina Forest neighborhoods to speak with residents and first responders still fighting a now over 2,000-acre wildfire.
Lt. Governor Evette told WMBF News she assessed damage from the wildfires but also came to thank Horry County first responders.
“The people of South Carolina are resilient, and their kind and we work together,” she said. “It’s a miracle that we’ve had no loss of life, no loss of property, and that’s not by chance.”
Horry County Fire Rescue says they’re making progress and are happy with the containment they’re seeing on the lines with the South Carolina Forestry Commission reporting a 55 percent containment as of Saturday morning.
The lieutenant governor also showed appreciation to the residents of Horry County for taking it upon themselves to step in and help.
“That’s what I’ve heard from first responders over and over, is thank you so much to this community for stepping up, for making sure that they had enough snacks, water, Gatorade, a place to lay their heads to rest when there were breaks,” she stated. “That they could come back and try to get a little rest. So, thank you to the community for all you do.”
On Saturday, Horry County officials and the South Carolina Forestry Commission said the fire remains at 55% containment, with crews attacking occasional flare-ups and hot spots. Still, overall things are moving in a positive direction.
Still county officials are strongly enforcing the county-wide burn ban and it is still in effect until further notice.
Photo Credit: Henry Taylor/Staff; Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina Pamela Evette speaks to the crowd at a rally for Donald Trump on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, in Rock Hill.
A network of President Donald Trump’s advisers, staff and political consultants are lining up behind South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, launching a new super PAC to boost her prospects as a leading contender if she decides to run for governor next year.
The group, Patriots for South Carolina, has already secured $5 million in donor commitments, according to details shared first with The Post and Courier Feb. 19.
“The Lieutenant Governor has demonstrated throughout her career that she has what it takes to be a strong, conservative leader for South Carolina,” said Chris Grant, who is serving as a senior adviser for the newly formed, pro-Evette super PAC.
“The resources committed to backing her, should she decide to run, clearly shows her support runs deep in the state,” Grant said.
Evette told the newspaper in a written statement she has been overwhelmed by the encouragement she has received for a potential 2026 gubernatorial bid and the show of support from the newly created group.
“President Trump needs strong allies in state government who know what it takes to get the job done — to continue the good work of the McMaster administration and keep SC winning,” she said, adding that she is taking a serious look at the governor’s race and urged supporters to “stay tuned.”
A roster of seasoned Republican strategists from Trump’s political orbit, including Grant, have joined the group’s leadership — an early sign that Trump’s allies are working to shape the race as Gov. Henry McMaster, who was one of the president’s earliest backers, nears the end of his final term.
Grant most recently worked as a consultant for Make America Great Again Inc., or MAGA Inc., which was the top spender on Trump’s behalf in the 2024 election cycle.
Grant’s involvement in the pro-Evette effort comes on the heels of his announcement that his consulting firm, Big Dog Strategies, is relocating its headquarters to Charleston — underscoring his commitment to the state and its political future.
Andy Surabian, who worked as a senior adviser to Vice President JD Vance during the Republican’s 2022 U.S. Senate bid in Ohio as well as his 2024 vice presidential run, will serve as the group’s CEO.
Surabian is a close adviser to Donald Trump Jr., the president’s son. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Surabian was a key member of Trump’s “war room” and later served as a key adviser to Steve Bannon during his brief tenure as Trump’s chief of staff.
Dan Adams, the CEO of Greenville-based investment banking firm The Capital Corp, will serve as chairman of the PAC. He was a major McMaster donor who was also one of 30 donors who met privately with Trump in 2017.
The group’s spokesman is Justin Evans, who most recently served on Trump’s South Carolina team as director of special projects.
In 2020, he worked with the Trump White House on its advance team and traveled the country to prepare for events with both Trump and then-Vice President Mike Pence.
“The Trump agenda is on the ballot in 2026, and there is no one better to carry the America First mantle than Pam Evette,” Evans said. “South Carolina needs a Trump businesswoman and conservative outsider to continue the success of the McMaster Administration, and Pam Evette is the perfect candidate for the job, should she choose to run.”
If Evette, 57, decides to enter the race, she is expected to face a competitive Republican primary. Other likely contenders include state Attorney General Alan Wilson and U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-Charleston, among others.
Evans said Evette offers something unique, even Trump-like.
“She, like the president, had tremendous success in the private sector before offering herself up for public service,” Evans said. “That differentiates her from the other rumored candidates.”
Evette had no prior experience in elected office when McMaster picked her as his running mate in 2017, the first time a S.C. governor ran on the same ticket as his pick for lieutenant governor. She came in as president and CEO of Quality Business Solutions, a payroll and human resources company based in the Upstate.
At the time, McMaster said he picked in part due to her “fresh eyes” when it came to governing, as well as her relationships with the business community.
While the PAC itself is pro-Evette, the outside group cannot legally coordinate their spending or messaging with the candidate or campaign.
On Feb. 17, Presidents Day, Evette issued a video statement on social media where she expressed her thanks that Trump was back in the White House, calling him a “bold and courageous leader.”
Evette and her husband, David, were among Trump’s invited guests who traveled to the Palm Beach County Convention Center to celebrate his 2024 election night victory.
She also recently traveled to Washington, D.C., to applaud Trump signing an executive order banning transgender athletes from participating in female sports.
Trump did not call on Evette by name, or ask her to say a few words, as he did with Mace.
Filing for the gubernatorial race won’t officially open for more than a year, but when it does it is expected to draw significant interest and competition. It will also be the first time South Carolina has had an open governor’s race since 2010 when 38-year-old Nikki Haley emerged victorious and made history when she was elected the state’s first female governor.
The Post and Courier’sCaitlin Byrdfirst reported that “a network of President Donald Trump’s advisers, staff and political consultants are lining up behind South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, launching a new super PAC to boost her prospects as a leading contender if she decides to run for governor next year.”
Patriots for South Carolina PAC has already raised $5 million.
A Trump endorsement will be one the most critical factors in this statewide race in which many Republican contenders occupy a similar policy lane.
Who we’re watching right now:
Evette, a self-made millionaire and former president and CEO of Quality Business Solutions in Travelers Rest, was recently spotted sitting in the front row in the East Room when the president signed an executive order banning transgender players on women’s sports teams.
1st District Congresswoman Nancy Mace, a former state lawmaker, who has put her focus over the last year on legislation that targets the transgender community. At that same White House event, Trump acknowledged Mace’s work. In a post on XWednesday, Mace posted the Post and Courier article about the PAC, referring to Evette as a “a nice lady.”
Attorney General Alan Wilson, who also became of a focus of Mace’s criticism from a fiery House floor speech — criticisms that Wilson denies — but has kept busy joining other attorneys general in federal-focused lawsuits. Over the past two years, Wilson has also joined Republican efforts to tweak the state’s judicial vetting and election process.
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette will be the featured guest at the upcoming Charleston Business & Brews event in March.
Slated for Thursday, March 13, at New Realm Brewing on Daniel Island, the event, which runs from 5 to 7:30 p.m., is free and open to the public.
Evette, the 93rd lieutenant governor of South Carolina and the state’s first female Republican to hold the position is known for her entrepreneurial spirit. She founded Quality Business Solutions, a payroll, HR, and benefits services firm, which grew into one of the nation’s fastest-growing small businesses under her leadership.
Since taking office in January 2019, Evette has focused on leveraging her professional experience to benefit South Carolina’s businesses and communities. She has been an advocate for the state’s small business ecosystem and has worked to attract new businesses to the area.
The event is organized by Follywood Productions and sponsored by companies including HNTB, Kavalyn Custom Solutions, Apostioli, and Ridge Media. New Realm Brewing is located at 880 Island Park Dr., Charleston, SC 29492.
