Rep. Nancy Mace is weighing a Senate bid in South Carolina following the unexpected death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, according to sources tracking her political calculations. Graham passed away late Saturday from what his office described as a brief and sudden illness.
The timing creates an unusual political opening. Gov. Henry McMaster will appoint an interim successor to complete Graham's current term, but because Graham was running for reelection this cycle, a special primary election is set for August 11 to determine the GOP nominee. The winner will face Democrat Annie Andrews, a physician, in the general election in November.
Mace's team is moving quickly. Sources said she plans to conduct polling Monday to test her electoral strength in a potential race. One person familiar with her thinking described her mindset using the acronym YOLO, suggesting she is in an aggressive posture.
This would not be her first attempt at the seat. Mace ran in the 2014 GOP primary against Graham, finishing fifth. After that loss, she pivoted to state legislative races, winning a seat in 2018 before jumping to Congress in 2020.
Her political identity has shifted notably since entering the House. She initially carved out space as a Trump-critical Republican but later reversed course, becoming a vocal Trump supporter and embracing social conservative positions. She also mounted a gubernatorial campaign that fizzled, finishing fifth in that primary as well.
The special election timeline will compress a typical campaign season, forcing candidates to build name recognition and fundraising infrastructure quickly. Mace already has a House platform and existing voter contact lists from her congressional races, advantages that could help her move faster than lesser-known challengers.
Her history of losses in South Carolina primary races suggests she faces skepticism among the state GOP establishment, though the unusual circumstances of Graham's death and the accelerated timeline could reshape conventional calculations about viability.
Author James Rodriguez: "Mace's political resilience is striking, but South Carolina voters have passed on her twice before, and a crowded special primary is a different beast entirely."
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