By admin 
Two lawyers who sought a position on the circuit court became a political football for several days as the two hopefuls for the GOP nomination for governor continue to elbow one another ahead of Tuesday’s runoff.
Read more Fast-tracked power plants fuel AI boom, with little public scrutiny
Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Attorney General Alan Wilson are facing off in the June 23 runoff for the Republican nomination for governor. Their campaigns in the last week have thrown shots at one another over a 2024 judicial election for a Richland County-based judgeship.
Evette surrogates called out Wilson’s support of the 2018 Democratic nominee for governor in the judge race while also pointing to his campaign’s assertion that the other candidate in the race was also a Democrat. Wilson’s camp has said the attorney general has always been a vocal proponent in reforming how the state picks judges.
In 2024 Public Service Commission member Justin Williams and 2018 Democratic nominee for governor James Smith ran for a circuit court position. Williams withdrew from the race in January when it became clear he did not have the votes to win the race.
The election originally planned for February 2024 got delayed to April 2024. Republicans then pushed back against Smith’s candidacy because he had been endorsed by Planned Parenthood in his run for governor as anti-abortion stances have come front and center in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court striking down Roe v. Wade.
Eventually the General Assembly rejected Smith and reopened the application process to fill the judicial position in Richland County.
Wilson did advocate for Smith, but his campaign said it was only two phone calls.
Last week, at a news conference, Evette campaign surrogates criticized Wilson for advocating to Smith during the judicial election.
Read more SpaceX agrees to buy AI startup Cursor for $60 billion
“When I found out what this man stood for, I was flabbergasted. And I could not believe somebody that stood for pro-life issues or claimed to would advocate for such a horrible human being that is completely opposite of who I am and what I stand for,” state Rep. Melissa Oremus, R-Aiken said.
The news conference also was used to say Evette, who has pushed to have the governor appoint judges with confirmation by the General Assembly, would push for judicial reform. Evette’s stance on appointment of judges would require an amendment to the state constitution.
Wilson has been pushing for judicial reform for years. He pushed for having all members of the judicial merit selection commission appointed by the governor and keep the General Assembly election in place. It would be an adjustment that would not require a change to the state constitution.
“Wilson led the charge on judicial reform for years. Smith met the legal qualifications to serve on the bench and was a safer alternative to the other candidate who was also a Democrat. It is a prime example of why Wilson has fought to reform the system: the legislature only advanced two candidates to be considered — both Democrats. We would have appreciated Pam’s legislators support for judicial reform years ago,” Wilson’s deputy campaign manager Claire Brady said in a statement.
It was the Wilson’s campaign statement describing Williams as a Democrat that led to push back from Evette’s camp.
The Wilson campaign declined to further comment for this story.
A review of his voting history shows since 2010 shows Williams voted on Democratic ballot in five primaries and a Republican ballot in three primaries, according to records from the South Carolina Election Commission. Williams, who serves on the Public Service Commission, has previously described himself as a moderate and declined comment for this story.
“Alan Wilson is trying to rewrite history. Like a typical career politician, in his rush to justify and quickly dismiss his the fact that he lobbied for his friend — a liberal, pro-planned parenthood, pro-transgender Democrat — James Smith for a judgeship in 2024, he got caught in a lie,” Evette campaign manager Megan Finnern wrote in a statement. “Perhaps someone should ask Alan what led him to incorrectly assume that Mr. Williams is a Democrat.”
Read more SC boutique owner arrested 17 times faces state prosecution. Here’s what to know