Pamela Sue Evette (née Gajoch; born August 28, 1967) is an American politician and businesswoman and the 93rd lieutenant governor of South Carolina since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, she was the CEO of Quality Business Solutions in Upstate South Carolina before her election as lieutenant governor. She is the first lieutenant governor to be elected on the same ticket as the governor. She has been in office since January 9, 2019, when Henry McMaster began his first elected term as governor.
Pamela Evette | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2019 | |
| 93rd Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina | |
| Assumed office January 9, 2019 | |
| Governor | Henry McMaster |
| Preceded by | Kevin L. Bryant |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Pamela Sue Gajoch August 28, 1967 Ohio, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | David Evette |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Cleveland State University (BBA) |
Background
editEvette is the granddaughter of Polish immigrants.[1] Born in Ohio, Evette earned her Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) in accounting from Cleveland State University. Evette worked as an accountant until returning to Travelers Rest, South Carolina in 2005, where she founded and acted as CEO of Quality Business Solutions, a payroll, HR and back-office solutions software firm.[2]
Evette was the first lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket as the governor. Before the 2018 election, South Carolina lieutenant governors were elected independently of the governor. She defeated Mandy Powers Norrell in the gubernatorial election on November 6, 2018. Evette took office as South Carolina's second female lieutenant governor (the first being Nancy Stevenson from 1979 through 1983 under Richard Riley) on January 9, 2019.[3]
Lieutenant governor
edit
Evette took office as lieutenant governor on January 9, 2019.[4] Behind Nancy Stevenson, Evette is the second woman to hold the role of lieutenant governor, and first Republican woman to hold the office.[5]
In South Carolina, the duties of the lieutenant governor are to focus mainly on the initiatives of the executive branch. Evette has spent much of her time in office traveling the state to meet with businesses and constituents, giving speeches and addresses that support Governor Henry McMaster. Evette said in an interview with the Associated Press that she has "doubled the potential footprint" of the governor's office through hosting various events across the state and communicating with lawmakers.[6]
Evette has also focused her attention on education, school choice, promoting business, and protecting South Carolina's natural resources.
In 2019, Evette was asked to join Cohort 6 of the Hunt-Kean Leadership Fellows program.[7]
In 2019, Evette launched the annual Grab A Bag SC, a statewide litter pick-up initiative with PalmettoPride to encourage South Carolinians to grab a bag and clean up their communities.[8]
In 2020, Evette served as chair of the South Carolina Governor’s Complete Count Commission for the 2020 Census.[9]
In 2020, Evette attended and helped lead the accelerateSC initiative.[10]
In 2020, Evette participated in the SC7 Expedition to raise awareness for floodwater prevention and the importance of protecting South Carolina’s natural resources.[11]
In 2023, Evette joined thousands of students at a State Rally Celebrating School Choice at the Capitol.[12]
Evette is South Carolina's first lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket as the governor. Her predecessor, Kevin L. Bryant, was a political enemy of Governor McMaster, and the two consequentially did not have the same political agenda.
In October 2019, Evette was involved in a car collision in Greer, South Carolina when her driver inappropriately activated his flashing blue and red lights to go through an intersection. Evette's driver was cited, and Evette was uninjured.[13]
In November 2022, McMaster and Evette won reelection.[14]
On December 12, 2023, McMaster underwent a minor outpatient heart procedure to correct paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, an intermittent irregular heartbeat. Evette served as acting governor for two hours. The South Carolina Constitution provides that the lieutenant governor may take executive action in case of emergency if the governor is temporarily disabled.[15]
Awards and honors
editIn 2015, Evette was ranked the #3 top female entrepreneurs in the United States by Inc. Magazine, noting that as CEO, she grew her business to a one-billion-dollar enterprise in the 15 years since its inception.[16]
Electoral history
edit| South Carolina Gubernatorial Election (Lt. Governor), 2018[17] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Republican | Pamela Evette | 921,342 | 54 |
| Democratic | Mandy Powers Norrell | 784,182 | 46 |
| South Carolina Gubernatorial Election (Lt. Governor), 2022[18] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Republican | Pamela Evette | 988,501 | 58 |
| Democratic | Tally Parham Casey | 692,691 | 41 |
| Other | - | 22,000 | 1 |
Personal life
editEvette is married to David Evette, with whom she has one son. She also has one son and one daughter from a previous marriage.
Evette and her husband attend Catholic Church in Taylors, South Carolina.[19]
References
edit- ^ "Pamela Evette". governor.sc.gov. November 18, 2018.
- ^ Shain, Andy (November 3, 2018). "SC governor race guide: Their backgrounds, stances, chances of winning". The Post and Courier. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
- ^ WSPA Staff (November 7, 2018). "Pamela Evette to be second woman to hold Lt. Gov office in SC". WSPA. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
- ^ Barton, Tom (January 12, 2019). "SC race for governor drew record $21.5M". The State. pp. 3A, 6A.
- ^ WSPA Staff (November 7, 2018). "Pamela Evette to be second woman to hold Lt. Gov office in SC". WSPA. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
- ^ "New to Politics, SC Lt. Gov Evette Reflects on First Year". Retrieved April 19, 2020.
- ^ "Hunt-Kean Leadership Fellows · The Hunt Institute". The Hunt Institute. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
- ^ Lyles, Sarah (October 1, 2019). "Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette Challenges South Carolinians to Grab A Bag on November 16, 2019". PalmettoPride. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
- ^ "Lt. Governor Pamela S. Evette, S.C. Leaders Launch #CountMeIn Campaign to Highlight Importance of 2020 Census | S.C. Governor Henry McMaster". governor.sc.gov. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
- ^ "'Protection' component of SC economic revitalization plan holds meeting". WYFF. April 28, 2020. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
- ^ says, Stacey Strickland (July 22, 2020). "The South Carolina Seven – South Carolina Wild". Retrieved October 5, 2023.
- ^ Week, National School Choice. "Thousands of Students to Converge on Columbia for State Rally Celebrating School Choice at the Capitol". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
- ^ Andy Shain (October 17, 2019). "Driver injured after collision with SC Lt. Gov. Evette's state vehicle". The Post and Courier.
- ^ "SC Election Results". The New York Times. November 8, 2022.
- ^ "Governor Henry McMaster to Undergo Minor Outpatient Medical Procedure Friday | S.C. Governor Henry McMaster". governor.sc.gov. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
- ^ "Pamela Evette Ranked 3 Among Top Female Entrepreneurs". Retrieved April 19, 2020.
- ^ "South Carolina Election Results 2018: Live Midterm Map by County & Analysis". www.politico.com. November 7, 2018. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
- ^ "2022 Statewide General Election Election Night Reporting". scvotes.org. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
- ^ "Pamela Evette | S.C. Governor Henry McMaster".