South Carolina’s Republican Representative, Nancy Mace, is running for a third term in office. Interestingly, she’s receiving support from an unlikely source – former President Donald Trump, who once opposed her bid for a second term.
Mace’s ability to garner attention surpasses that of an average second-term congressional member, evidenced by receiving an endorsement from Trump, despite his past criticism of her as crazy and terrible back in 2022.
Related posts
Frequently appearing on interview shows, she has a tendency to challenge the hosts. Despite advocating for her party to adopt a more moderate stance on issues such as abortion and marijuana, she aligned herself with the most conservative members to remove former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy from his position.
According to Mace, her stances and principles are not inconsistent. Rather, she is representing the viewpoints of the 1st District, which encompasses the historic communities of Charleston and extends all the way down the coast to the newly constructed retirement neighborhoods in Beaufort County, where many individuals have relocated to South Carolina from other areas.
In Tuesday’s primary, Mace is facing two Republican opponents. Catherine Templeton, her main rival, previously led South Carolina’s health and environmental agency. However, her leadership caused some concern a decade ago. In her only political race, Templeton finished third in the 2018 GOP gubernatorial primary which was won by Governor Henry McMaster.
According to Templeton, Mace’s approach of appearing to be present in all places leads to her being absent everywhere. Templeton pledges to be a dependable Republican voice in the United States House of Representatives.
Mace, the first woman to graduate from South Carolina’s military institution, The Citadel, thanked her supporters for hearing out her opponents’ “senseless noise” and recognizing her willingness to stand up to strong individuals.
“When you are the first woman to sit in The Citadel’s barber chair to get all of your hair chopped off, you don’t get your feelings hurt when you don’t get invited to the fancy cocktail parties in Washington, D.C.,” remarked Mace. “While sometimes I may be a caucus of one, I’m not alone because I’m not there for me—I’m there for each and every one of you.”
Mace’s opponents claimed that by appearing to be everywhere on problems, he is nowhere.
Templeton caused controversy when she managed South Carolina’s health and environmental agency a decade ago, and she finished third in the 2018 GOP gubernatorial primary, which Gov. Henry McMaster won. Young is a Marine veteran and a financial planner.
Templeton did not mention Mace by name, but she urged her supporters to continue supporting Republicans on Tuesday.
“I think it is safe to say everybody in here has the conservative values that we share, and in November we are all going to stand behind our president, and we are all going to join together to support the Republican Party,” Templeton stated.
In the Democratic primary, Michael Moore, a businessman and former CEO of the International African American Museum, defeated Mac Deford, a Citadel graduate and lawyer representing a handful of the district’s bigger bedroom communities.
Following a one-term switch for the seat in 2018, South Carolina politicians redesigned the district to be more Republican. Nikki Haley won the first congressional district over Trump in the 2024 South Carolina Republican presidential primary.
4th District
Republican Rep. William Timmons, is currently in a primary reelection battle for South Carolina’s 4th District, with Greenville and Spartanburg serving as its anchor.
Timmons is facing challenges in his reelection bid due to his divorce, which has been further complicated by a viral Instagram post from a husband who claims that Timmons had an affair with his wife. Despite the allegations, Timmons has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has requested privacy during this difficult time.
South Carolina Rep. Adam Morgan, who leads the chamber’s Freedom Caucus, a group of the most conservative lawmakers in state government, is challenging Timmons as he seeks a fourth term. Morgan is aiming to defeat Timmons from the right, asserting that he isn’t conservative enough to be a genuine Republican.
Timmons has received support from Trump, while Morgan’s campaign has been aided by U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida, who played a role in removing McCarthy as house speaker. Gaetz has been utilizing social media to promote Morgan’s campaign.
3rd District
Republican Rep. Jeff Duncan’s decision to not seek re-election in South Carolina’s 3rd District has created a vacant seat. The decision comes after his wife of 35 years filed for divorce in 2023, alleging that Duncan had engaged in multiple extramarital affairs.
There are currently seven Republican candidates vying for the win in the race, and as of now, there is no clear frontrunner. It is worth noting that the district, located in the northwest corner of the state, includes a number of smaller population centers.
In her bid for political office, Sheri Biggs, a nurse practitioner and longtime friend of Gov. McMaster, received his endorsement. On the other hand, President Trump extended his support to Mark Burns, a Black pastor who has been a vocal supporter of Trump since his first run for the presidency.
There are several other candidates who are vying for the same position. One of them is Kevin Bishop, who boasts of over 25 years of experience working for U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham. Another candidate is Stewart Jones, who has already served five years in the South Carolina House and is the only one among them with a political background. Franky Franco is also in the running, and he is a successful businessman who is the son of a Cuban exile and an immigrant from Ecuador. Phil Healy, a retired U.S. Navy veteran with 23 years of service under his belt, is also competing for the same position. Lastly, Elspeth Snow Murday, a newcomer in the political arena, is making a bid for the position. Murday’s work focuses on examining the genes of crops.
Frances Guldner, a high school science teacher, and Byron Best, who manages a Sherwin Williams paint store in Greenwood, are vying for the Democratic nomination in the 3rd District primary.
Other races
Republican Rep. Joe Wilson is seeking a 12th full term in the 2nd District, which covers suburban areas around Columbia west and south towards Aiken. He is the only U.S. House incumbent facing a primary challenger.
Hamp Redmond, a contractor, is running against Wilson due to his “Ukraine first” policy.
Attorney Duke Buckner and welder Justin Scott are vying for the Republican nomination in the 6th District primary. The winner will go head-to-head with Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, who is running for his 17th term in the state’s majority-minority district, which includes areas in and around Charleston, Beaufort, and Columbia.
Mal Hyman, a self-proclaimed independent Democrat and teacher, is set to face off against Daryl Scott, a veteran of Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom, in the 7th District Democratic primary. The winner of this primary will go on to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Russel Fry, who is seeking a second term in the district that spans from Myrtle Beach to Florence in the northeast region of the state.
