McMaster endorses Timmons in 4th District fight

Gov. Henry McMaster weighed in Wednesday to the 4th District GOP battle, as he endorsed U.S. Rep. William Timmons in his fight to ward off a challenge from state Rep. Adam Morgan. 

Also endorsing Timmons is Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, who — unlike the governor — can actually vote in the primary that pits the three-term incumbent against the leader of the Statehouse’s hardline Freedom Caucus. (Evette lives in Travelers Rest.)

“William is a great conservative ally to our fight against the Biden administration’s efforts to impose their radical socialist agenda on the people of South Carolina,” McMaster said in a statement. 

The governor did not mention Morgan in the statement.

McMaster’s spokesman, Brandon Charochak, said the endorsement had nothing to do with Morgan, and Timmons would have the governor’s support no matter who’s challenging him.

But the endorsement comes a week after the State Law Enforcement Division issued a report concluding that allegations raised through a series of social media posts by Morgan and the Freedom Caucus were “unfounded.” McMaster directed SLED to evaluate the claims after the caucus told the governor on social media he should take action.

In response, Morgan pointed to his endorsements from Greenville County Sheriff Hobart Lewis and Greenville businessman John Warren, a Marine veteran lost to McMaster in the 2018 GOP primary runoff.

“The establishment is supporting their own,” Morgan said of McMaster’s endorsement of Timmons. “The most important endorsements are those of the voters of the Fourth Congressional District.”

The 4th District, which covers most of Greenville and Spartanburg counties, has already received national attention.

Timmons boasts the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, who won the district in February’s presidential primary with 60% of the vote over former Gov. Nikki Haley. His other backers include U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson.

Morgan has the backing of U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman from the adjacent 5th District. A member of the uber-conservative Freedom Caucus in the U.S. House, the Rock Hill Republican helped launch the Statehouse affiliate in 2022. 

Morgan’s other backers include U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, a controversial figure who campaigned with Morgan in April. 

It’s not the first GOP primary fight McMaster has jumped into ahead of next month’s contests.

McMaster has previously backed Sheri Biggs in the 3rd Congressional District, which also features a Freedom Caucus candidate. 

Biggs, a lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard, is running in an eight-way primary that also includes Kevin Bishop, the recently retired communication director for U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham; state Rep. Stewart Jones, a founding member of the hard-right Freedom Caucus; and Mark Burns, a pastor who gained national attention for his support of Trump.

That primary is almost certain to go to a runoff. In South Carolina, if no candidate receives at least one vote over 50%, the top two vote-getters advance to a runoff two weeks later.