Rep. Nancy Mace’s (R-S.C.) entrance into South Carolina’s GOP gubernatorial primary is setting the stage for a tumultuous intraparty battle as five Republicans vie for the state’s top executive post.
Early polling shows Mace and the state’s Attorney General Alan Wilson (R) leading the primary pack, with Mace calling the primary a two-way race between her and Wilson. The two officials already have a contentious history. Earlier this year the congresswoman accused four men of sexual misconduct in a speech on the House floor and accused the state attorney general of not prosecuting the men.
However, other contenders, including Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette (R) and Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), could also have an impact on the race.
“When it comes to our politics, it truly is really cut-throat,” said Alex Stroman, former South Carolina GOP executive director.
A South Carolina Policy Council poll released late last month showed Mace leading the crowded field with 16 percent of voters who said they identified as Republicans while Wilson closely trailed at 15 percent. Evette came in with eight percent support, followed by Norman at six percent. State Sen. Josh Kimbrell (R) received three percent support. The same poll showed 52 percent of voters were undecided, suggesting there is ample opportunity for the candidates to bolster their support.
The nature of the crowded primary could make it difficult for any candidate to win a majority of voters outright. If no candidates win a majority, the two candidates with the most votes will proceed to a runoff.
Additionally, strategists note that most polling at this point of the cycle is about name ID.
Mace, who is a Trump critic-turned-vocal-supporter, arguably has the highest name ID in the race.
“I don’t sleep. I went to bed at 1 a.m., and I was up at 4 a.m. OK, I am Trump in high heels. I love what I am doing. I mean, he doesn’t sleep,” Mace said at her campaign’s first town hall in Myrtle Beach this week.
The congresswoman is an outspoken opponent of transgender rights, making headlines late last year for introducing legislation that would ban transgender women from using women’s restrooms in the U.S. Capitol following the election of the first openly transgender Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.).
Mace also made waves during a contentious interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos when she accused him of shaming her for being a rape victim. Stephanopoulos had asked Mace how she could endorse Trump, who has been found liable for sexual battery in his defamation lawsuit with E. Jean Carroll.
One national GOP operative working on South Carolina races noted that Mace’s status as an outspoken, firebrand figure will not be enough to ensure a victory.
“Crazy wins the attention in the primary, but that’s not going to translate into votes,” the operative noted.
Mace and Wilson’s feud is likely to be a defining part of the race, with both candidates escalating their attacks on the campaign trail. During an appearance on Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade Show, Mace accused Wilson of being too lenient on violent offenders, including child sex abusers.
Wilson has defended his record on the issue as attorney general while hitting back at Mace.
“It’s obvious to me that Congresswoman Mace thinks a lot more about me than I think about her,” Wilson said in an interview with The Hill on Friday. “You can always tell how you’re doing in a crowded race when one of the candidates only talks about you and spends all of their time obsessing and lying about their record.”
“People do not get attacked when they are irrelevant and apparently I am incredibly relevant to some of my opponents in this race,” he continued.
Wilson’s father, Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), also has bad blood with Mace. The congressman notably endorsed Mace’s previous primary challengers in 2022 and 2024.
The elder Wilson issued a scathing statement against Mace earlier this week, calling her “a party of one” in the Republican Conference. Mace hit back in her own statement, saying “South Carolina deserves a fighter, not a dynasty.”
Some Republicans note that while early polling shows Mace and Wilson as the early frontrunners, their ongoing feud comes with the risk of their campaigns cannibalizing each other.
“They’re going to kill each other because they can’t help it,” said the national GOP operative working on South Carolina races. “They’re going to create an opening for either Pam or Ralph, or maybe both of them.”
Unlike Mace, Norman and Kimbrell, Wilson and Evette can more easily run on South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster’s (R) record given their roles in the executive branch.
McMaster, who has been governor since 2015, holds a 43 percent approval rating.
“[Evette] is the one who run on the McMaster record,” said the national GOP operative working on South Carolina races. “They’re all attacking Columbia and the government and they don’t realize how popular McMaster is.”
Wilson argued that the attorney’s general office, which he has held since 2011, is “the most consequential elected position in state government.”
“I have gone and been involved in hundreds of legal actions both during the Biden and Obama administrations, so when I say something and I back it up in court, it has a real impact on people’s lives,” he said, adding that the office of lieutenant governor is “a ceremonial position.”
“That is not the fault of the current occupant,” he said, referring to Evette.
Additionally, it’s been over a decade since there was an open South Carolina governor’s primary, meaning the party’s candidates find themselves in somewhat unchartered territory.
“We haven’t had a true open governor’s race in 16 years,” Stroman said. “I think everyone is trying to figure out what do South Carolina voters actually care about.”
One thing that is known is how valuable Trump’s endorsement will be in the race.
“He is a consequential voice in South Carolina party politics,” Wilson said. “Of course everybody running for governor of South Carolina wants the president’s endorsement. I’m no different but at the end of the day, I think that people have to earn the president’s endorsement.”
Many members of Evette’s staff are former Trump staffers and have had ties to the president’s political operation.
“All of the candidates in the race think they’re the Trump candidate,” Stroman said. “But I think Evette actually lands the endorsement.”
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