Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) emerged victorious against Catherine Templeton on June 11 to secure the Republican nomination for South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District. The Associated Press swiftly projected Ms. Mace’s win shortly after the polls closed. Ms. Mace, known for her role in voting to remove former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in October 2023, is now running for re-election in a district covering Charleston and a significant portion of South Carolina’s coastline.
Despite facing competition from Ms. Templeton, who is among the candidates endorsed by McCarthy post-removal, Ms. Mace maintained strong support from voters, particularly those aligned with former President Trump. Polls conducted in May and aggregated by FiveThirtyEight indicated a substantial lead for Ms. Mace over Ms. Templeton ahead of the primary elections.
In the latest district poll, Ms. Mace held a 25-point lead over her opponent, with a notable percentage of undecided voters. Another survey showed a closer margin, with Ms. Mace leading by 22 points while highlighting a significant portion of undecided voters. Additionally, Ms. Templeton led fundraising efforts in 2024, hinting at a potentially close race, as reported by The Post and Courier.
As the first of the eight Republicans who voted against McCarthy to face a primary challenge, Ms. Mace’s victory in the 1st Congressional District suggests that Republican voters may not penalize lawmakers who opposed McCarthy. The district’s historically moderate tendencies and the redistricting following the 2020 census further contribute to Ms. Mace’s favorable position for the upcoming elections.
The successful redrawing of the electoral map, shifting key areas to neighboring districts, has solidified Ms. Mace’s and Rep. Jim Clyburn’s (D-S.C.) reelection prospects. Governor Henry McMaster approved the new map in 2022, impacting subsequent elections and favoring Republican candidates like Ms. Mace. The legal battle over the redistricting, with allegations of racial gerrymandering by the NAACP, was resolved in favor of South Carolina by the U.S. Supreme Court in May. Can you please rewrite this sentence?
Source link