South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has won the state’s GOP primary election to become governor, defeating Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette in a runoff after neither candidate secured a majority in the initial vote.

Wilson’s victory came days after President Trump endorsed both candidates ahead of the runoff. The president later stated that “with either one you can’t go wrong,” reflecting his cautious stance as his preferred candidates faced challenges in recent gubernatorial races.

As of Tuesday night, Wilson received approximately 65 percent of the vote compared to Evette’s 34 percent. South Carolina has elected Republican governors in every election since 2002, when the state last had a Democratic governor, Jim Hodges.

Prior to Trump’s endorsement, Reps. Ralph Norman and Nancy Mace endorsed Wilson after placing third and fifth in the primary. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina also supported Wilson.

The race underscored difficulties for Trump-backed candidates. In Iowa, Rep. Randy Feenstra lost his Republican primary to Zach Lahn, and in Georgia, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones was defeated by billionaire Rick Jackson.

Sen. Ted Cruz congratulated Wilson: “Congratulations to my friend, Alan Wilson, on his well-deserved victory tonight. I was proud to endorse him and campaign with him this week.”

Wilson, a National Guard veteran, has been positioned as a conservative leader in the state.