Politics & Government

Former President Trump endorses SC Attorney General Alan Wilson in GOP primary race

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson got a public backing from the former president Tuesday.

Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday endorsed Wilson’s reelection as he seeks a fourth term as attorney general. He was first elected in 2010.

He is facing a Republican primary challenge from long shot candidate Lauren Martel, of Bluffton.

“Attorney General Alan Wilson is doing a tremendous job for the people of South Carolina,” Trump said. “Alan is a fearless champion for law and order. He is working tirelessly to protect your 1st and 2nd Amendments, defend parental rights, safeguard your elections, fund the police, secure our border, end human trafficking, and stop deadly opioids from poisoning our communities. A colonel in the JAG Corps, Alan Wilson is a true America first warrior.”

Wilson is the chairman of the Republican Attorneys General Association, and has been actively involved in several high-profile legal matters throughout his term as the state’s chief prosecutor.

One of Wilson’s latest visits to the White House came about a month after the November 2020 elections, when Wilson was among a group of 10 state attorneys general who met with Trump.

He and 16 other attorneys general later signed an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in support of a lawsuit filed by Texas that contested the presidential election results of four states in the 2020 election. He also signed onto an amicus brief that asked the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to reconsider its decision to allow the state to accept mail-in ballots three days after the election without a stamp.

Wilson condemned the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, when Trump supporters tried to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s victory in the Electoral College.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect that Attorney General Alan Wilson signed onto an amicus brief in a Texas lawsuit before the U.S. Supreme Court that contested the presidential election results of four states in the 2020 election.

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson on Tuesday was endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson on Tuesday was endorsed by former President Donald Trump. Tracy Glantz tglantz@thestate.com

This story was originally published May 24, 2022 at 5:17 PM with the headline "Former President Trump endorses SC Attorney General Alan Wilson in GOP primary race."

Joseph Bustos
The State
Joseph Bustos is a state government and politics reporter at The State. He’s a Northwestern University graduate and previously worked in Illinois covering government and politics. He has won reporting awards in both Illinois and Missouri. He moved to South Carolina in November 2019 and won the Jim Davenport Award for Excellence in Government Reporting for his work in 2022. Support my work with a digital subscription
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