Pamela Evette

Pamela Sue Evette (born August 28, 1967) is an American politician and businesswoman and the 93rd and current lieutenant governor of South Carolina. A member of the Republican Party, she was the CEO of Quality Business Solutions in Upstate South Carolina prior to her election as lieutenant governor, and 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
93rd Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina
Incumbent
Assumed office January 9, 2019
Governor	Henry McMaster
Preceded by	Kevin L. Bryant
Personal details
Born	August 28, 1967
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	David Evette
Children	3
Education	Cleveland State University (BBA)

Background

Born in Ohio, Evette earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from Cleveland State University. She 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.[1]

Evette was the first lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket as the governor. Prior to 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. [2] Evette is the first Republican female to hold the office.[3]

Lieutenant Governor

As lieutenant governor, a largely ceremonial role in South Carolina, Evette has spent much of her time in the role 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.[4] 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. Evette has declared that she will seek reelection as Henry McMaster seeks an additional term as governor in 2022.[5]

In October 2019, Evette was involved in an 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.[6]

Awards and Honors

In 2015, Evette was ranked #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.[7]

Electoral history

South Carolina Gubernatorial Election (Lt. Governor), 2018[8]
Party	Candidate	Votes	%
Republican	Pamela Evette	921,342	54
Democratic	Mandy Powers Norrell	784,182	46

Personal life

Evette is married to David Evette, with whom she has one son and one son and daughter from a previous marriage

References

1. Shain, Andy (November 3, 2018). "SC governor race guide: Their backgrounds, stances, chances of winning". The Post and Courier. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
2. Staff, WSPA (November 7, 2018). "Pamela Evette to be second woman to hold Lt. Gov office in SC". WSPA. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
3. Staff, WSPA (November 7, 2018). "Pamela Evette to be second woman to hold Lt. Gov office in SC". WSPA. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
4. "New to Politics, SC Lt. Gov Evette Reflects on First Year". Retrieved April 19, 2020.
5. "New to Politics, SC Lt. Gov Evette Reflects on First Year". Retrieved April 19, 2020.
6. Andy Shain (October 17, 2019). "Driver injured after collision with SC Lt. Gov. Evette's state vehicle". The Post and Courier.
7. "Pamela Evette Ranked 3 Among Top Female Entrepreneurs". Retrieved April 19, 2020.
8. "South Carolina Election Results 2018: Live Midterm Map by County & Analysis". www.politico.com. Retrieved February 17, 2019.