BEAUFORT, South Carolina — Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) stood by an advertisement slamming Republican primary opponent and former South Carolina state Rep. Katie Arrington despite attempts to appear above the fray in their closely fought campaign for the 1st Congressional District in the state’s low country.
The 30-second grayscale spot, which focuses on the Pentagon suspending Arrington’s security clearance in 2021 amid accusations she disclosed classified information, is not going “negative” on her Trump–endorsed rival, according to Mace.
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“It’s my opponent who’s attacked me personally,” she told the Washington Examiner after a constituent event in Beaufort. “I’m running on my record, and I’m running on her record, which she has to defend.”
The ad, which debuted this week as part of a six-figure television, radio, and digital buy, notes the national security threats posed by China, Iran, and Russia before asking whether the country can trust Arrington “to keep America safe.”
“If our military doesn’t trust Katie Arrington, neither can we,” the narrator contends.
Mace similarly broached Arrington’s security clearance, bestowed as Trump’s chief information security officer in his Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, last month during her closing remarks at their only debate. The reference triggered a sharp response from Arrington.
“Ladies and gentlemen, just shows you how low Nancy Mace will go,” she said. “I was a victim of a political hit job, point blank. I proudly serve my nation.”
“I’ve got the receipts,” Mace replied.
The rhetoric reflects the competitiveness of the Mace-Arrington race. A Trafalgar Group poll published this week found Mace had 46% support. In comparison, Arrington had 41%. Another 13% remained undecided.
“Look at the polling that has been consistent, has been accurate over the years,” Mace said Thursday. “Those are the polls that are showing us up 20% or more.”
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There will not be a runoff after June 14 for this contest, she added.
