Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) posted a photo on Monday of herself and President Donald Trump, evoking a similar feel to that of an endorsement of her gubernatorial campaign, touting her work in South Carolina during the president’s first campaign in 2016.
The post follows Trump snubbing Mace in the Palmetto State’s race for governor, and instead backing her GOP challenger, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette.
Recommended Stories
“I’m the only candidate running for Governor who worked for President Trump and helped get him elected in South Carolina in 2016 – the very first time he ran,” Mace captioned the photo of her and Trump giving a thumbs up.
South Carolina’s Republican primary is slated for June 9, where Mace will face Evette and five other candidates vying for the GOP nomination. The GOP primary field consists of Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC), South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, former business executive Rom Reddy, and South Carolina state Sen. Josh Kimbrell.
Trump did not mention Mace in his endorsement, but framed Evette as the candidate who has been most loyal to him.
“She never wavered, never let me down, and was the only South Carolina Gubernatorial Candidate to Endorse me as soon as I launched my 2024 Presidential Campaign,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “She crisscrossed South Carolina and other States for me, and I said, at the time, that this is truly something which I cannot forget!”
Evette also has the backing of term-limited Gov. Henry McMaster (R-SC), whose son is expected to be Evette’s running mate.
Mace issued a statement about Trump endorsing Evette over her, saying she still holds respect for the president, but emphasized the state needs to change.
Hours before Trump backed Evette, Mace went on a tirade about the lieutenant governor and her expected running mate, Henry McMaster Jr., calling the pairing “incestuous” and posting Facebook statuses from 2007 where the governor’s son allegedly made untoward comments.
TRUMP ENDORSEMENT TRACKER: HERE’S WHO THE PRESIDENT HAS PICKED IN GOP MIDTERM ELECTION PRIMARIES
The congresswoman attributed the snub to her signing a discharge petition that forced a House vote compelling the Department of Justice to release the Epstein Files last year.
Recent polling places Mace toward the bottom of the GOP field, with Evette and Wilson topping the charts. The placement suggests a runoff between Evette and Wilson could result from the primary, but Trump’s endorsements have proven their weight in recent Republican primaries.
