J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina is pictured at the U.S. Capitol on Dec. 13, 2023 in Washington, DC.
CNN
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CNN projects that South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace will win the Republican primary in her state’s 1st Congressional District, fending off pressure from two challengers and allies of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, whose party voted for Mace to step down.
By winning a majority on Tuesday’s ballot, Mace is expected to avoid a June 25 primary runoff in his bid to win a third term in his coastal Charleston-area district.
Tuesday’s election results were a long-awaited victory for Mace, who has become an increasingly polarizing figure in the party. Mace has faced a wave of criticism over the past few months, including accusations that he created a toxic work environment by stoking anger over his and seven other Republicans’ removal of McCarthy from his position as speaker in October.
A few days after the move, Mace was seen wearing a white T-shirt with a red “A” on the front, a reference to the novel “The Scarlet Letter,” which Mace said demonized his own vote.
McCarthy sought revenge at the ballot box, and his allies spent millions of dollars attacking Mace during the primary. Mace and groups supporting her portrayed her main opponent, Katherine Templeton, a former South Carolina cabinet secretary under Republican Gov. Nikki Haley, as a McCarthy puppet.
Mace has faced criticism for his deteriorating relationship with former President Donald Trump. After the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, Mace told CNN that Trump’s “legacy was wiped out that day.” Ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, Trump endorsed Mace’s opponent, Katie Arrington, in the primaries. One of Mace’s main supporters in the primaries was Haley, who campaigned alongside Mace and appeared on his behalf in television ads. Mace ultimately defeated Arrington by eight points.
Two years later, Mace endorsed Trump over Haley ahead of South Carolina’s Republican presidential primary. The former president endorsed Mace in March, calling her a “powerful conservative voice.”
Mace was first elected in 2020, narrowly defeating Democratic incumbent Joe Cunningham. Two years later, after the district was redrawn to favor Republicans, Mace handily won reelection.
A three-judge panel concluded last year that the district’s new boundaries constituted unconstitutional racially biased redistricting, but the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the new maps last month, rejecting arguments that state lawmakers had improperly used race to improve Republican victories.
Meanwhile, in the state’s 4th Congressional District, Republican Rep. William Timmons won a CNN-sponsored primary, becoming the latest Republican this year to fend off a challenge from the right.
Timmons, who has the endorsement of President Trump, is expected to defeat state Rep. Adam Morgan, who has the backing of several members of the House Freedom Caucus and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz.
Meg Kinnard/AP/File
Rep. William Timmons speaks on August 22, 2022 in Anderson, South Carolina.
In a primary contest that was focused on style over substance, Morgan and his allies insisted that Timmons wasn’t going to defy party leadership, including McCarthy. Timmons pointed to his conservative record and other key endorsements, including those from South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, House Speaker Mike Johnson and conservative Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Gaetz and other hard-line Republicans have had little success backing challengers to their colleagues in these primaries. Republican Reps. Tony Gonzales of Texas and Don Bacon of Nebraska are among House Republicans who have fended off challenges from the right this year.
Timmons was first elected to the South Carolina Upstate district (which includes Greenville and Spartanburg) in 2018, replacing Republican Trey Gowdy. Timmons denied the infidelity allegations in 2022 and divorced his wife the same year.
Timmons has a large financial lead over Morgan, raising more than $1.9 million through May 22 compared with his opponent’s $578,000. Timmons has also backed outside funding, including ads from a super PAC highlighting his tough stance on the border and his endorsement by McMaster.
This story has been updated with additional information.
