Staff Reports
Rep. Nancy Mace, a Republican from South Carolina, is in the midst of a primary battle with a couple of challengers, but it seems like she’s holding on to a strong lead. According to a poll from the Hill and Emerson College, Mace is ahead in the race with 47% of likely GOP primary voters in South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District supporting her, while her competitors, Catherine Templeton and Bill Young, lag behind with 22% and 7% respectively.
Mace made headlines when she voted to remove former Rep. Kevin McCarthy from the speakership, and she’s not holding back in her criticism of Templeton, labeling her as a “puppet in Kevin McCarthy’s bitter revenge operation.” Despite being targeted by her opponents, Mace has received an endorsement from former President Donald Trump, which seems to have bolstered her support among Republican voters.
NEW #SC01 GOP primary poll out this AM
47% – Nancy Mace
22% – Catherine Templeton
7% – Bill Young
24% – UndecidedSource: Emerson College poll of 400 likely SC01 GOP primary voters from May 19-21.
MoE is +/- 4.9 percentage points.–> https://t.co/CWIhMP1sIs#scpol #chsnews
— Caitlin Byrd (@MaryCaitlinByrd) May 23, 2024
The poll also revealed that Mace is particularly popular among voters over 70, those without a college degree, and male voters. The race for South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District is scheduled for June 11, and Mace seems poised for a strong showing.
In addition to her strong support from voters, Mace received another boost when the Supreme Court upheld the state’s congressional map, which was drawn to favor her current district based on the 2020 census. The Cook Political Report rates the race for South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District as “likely Republican,” indicating a favorable political climate for Mace.
Overall, Mace appears to be in a strong position as she heads into the primary elections, and it seems unlikely that the challenges she’s facing will jeopardize her chances for reelection in the GOP primary.
