Latest news with #Republican-identifying
UPI
5 days ago
- Politics
- UPI
Rep. Nancy Mace runs for S.C. governor in crowded GOP primary
1 of 2 | Rep. Nancy Mace, R-SC, arrives to speak at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in 2024. Mace announced today that she will run for governor of South Carolina. File Photo by Tannen Maury/UPI | License Photo Aug. 4 (UPI) -- United States Representative Nancy Mace, R-S.C., announced her run for South Carolina governor Monday morning to succeed Republican Gov. Henry McMaster. "This morning, I'm making it official. I am running to be your governor of the great state of South Carolina," Mace said in an announcement Monday morning at The Citadel, where she became the first woman to graduate from the Corps of Cadets program in 1999. Mace, 47, first came to Congress in 2021. She has developed a reputation as a GOP firebrand in recent months. Mace told Fox News last week that she was leaning toward running for state-wide office, citing economic issues, crime and "gender-bending ideology" at colleges in the state. Mace will run against fellow Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., state Attorney General Alan Wilson, R, state Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and state Sen. Josh Kimbrell, R, in the primary. Mace told Fox News that if she launched a gubernatorial bid, she and Wilson would run a "two-man race." "If I get in, I will fight to the finish, and I will take out South Carolina's attorney general, because he's turned a blind eye on women and on children and on the state for a lot of reasons. He might force me to do this," Mace said. "South Carolina is tired of the politicians who smile for the cameras, lie to your face, and then vanish when it's time to lead," she said. A poll released by the South Carolina Policy Council showed Mace narrowly leading Wilson in the primary among Republican-identifying voters.
Newsweek
01-08-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Nancy Mace's Chances of Winning South Carolina Governor's Race—Polls
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. South Carolina Representative Nancy Mace is rumored to be soon announcing her bid to become the Palmetto State's governor, though early polls show a large degree of uncertainty among the electorate. Newsweek reached out to Mace via email for comment. Why It Matters Mace is scheduled to deliver a "special announcement" on the morning of August 4 at The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. Her gubernatorial entry would mark a crowded GOP primary of candidates attempting to succeed current term-limited Republican Governor Henry McMaster. Speculation of an apparent Mace gubernatorial campaign heightened when her office touted a "major address on the future of South Carolina" scheduled to take place August 4. A social media slipup also took place, with The Associated Press' Meg Kinnard noting that publicity for Mace's "Statewide Mother of ALL Town Halls Tour" came under the label of "Nancy Mace for Governor." An event website advertising the town halls has since removed any mention of the term "governor." Mace's own remarks have fueled rumors, including one of her social media posts acknowledging that President Donald Trump "needs America First governors" and that the state of South Carolina "needs a fighter." She's also said her state has gone "woke" the past couple years. What To Know Mace, 47, has represented South Carolina's 1st congressional district since 2021 and previously served in the South Carolina General Assembly from 2018 to 2020. Polling published in late July by the South Carolina Policy Council shows Mace receiving 16 percent support from Republican-identifying voters, one point ahead of South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson. Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette earned 8 percent support, Representative Ralph Norman received 6 percent, and State Senator Josh Kimbrell received 3 percent. About 52 percent were undecided. Norman announced his run for governor on Sunday. Newsweek reached out to the Wilson and Norman campaigns via email for comment. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) walks off the House floor before a vote on the Republican budget plan at the U.S. Capitol on April 10, 2025 in Washington, D.C. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) walks off the House floor before a vote on the Republican budget plan at the U.S. Capitol on April 10, 2025 in Washington, Carolinians across party lines support eliminating income tax, adopting spending limits, and expressed concerns about increased energy costs to construct data centers, according to the poll. A Winthrop University poll in February found that 52 percent of South Carolina adults said they were either very or somewhat familiar with Mace, compared to 39 percent for Wilson. Evette had a 32 percent recognition level. Scott Huffmon, director of the Winthrop Poll, told Newsweek via phone on Friday that Mace's entry into the gubernatorial race would not be a shock and is on par with what most pundits expect of her. "It's obviously going to make the race very fractious, very interesting with the potential to have a lot of unflattering portraits of many of the candidates—all of the cliches about tough, hard politics in South Carolina, they're all true. "[Mace] says things that are seen by many as outrageous and seen by many within her party as extremely strong stances, often coinciding with President Trump, even though she had criticized President Trump years ago. She definitely has gotten back into his good graces, but that's what's going to make it a very contentious and interesting primary." He noted how Mace has already fired "the opening salvos" at Wilson, saying if she enters it's "a two-man race" between the pair. But Huffmon said Norman may ultimately be viewed as the "calm and steady candidate." Mace has broad name recognition, he added, but that does not automatically translate into votes or support. Wilson does, too, while Norman would likely have to spend more money to achieve that broader level of recognition. "That's no big deal," Huffmon said. "He's extremely wealthy on his own. He has connections to the fundraising apparatus, both in the 5th District and around the state. "He has the possibility of maybe calling in a favor from Nikki Haley and getting an endorsement because he has always been a Haley supporter." McMaster's ultimate endorsement, if he provides one, remains unknown for now. He has a relationship with Wilson, Huffmon noted, and shares the same fiscal sensibilities as Norman. "Whether or not he would endorse Nancy Mace to the degree that she makes this a little more outrageous than a normal primary would be, I would think every time she might do that will make him disinclined to endorse," he said. "But I don't see him indicating anytime soon who he might endorse." What People Are Saying Representative Nancy Mace on Fox News last weekend: "I will be making a decision over the next couple of days about my future. I believe I may be forced to run for governor because I can't watch my beautiful red state of South Carolina go woke. It's gone woke over the last couple of years." Representative Ralph Norman on Sunday told supporters in Rock Hill, South Carolina: "I've seen way too many corrupt politicians in Columbia, S.C, looking out for themselves and not for you. And in Washington, I've seen career politicians who care more about their next election than they do securing our future generations." South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson to the Bluffton Today: "My three brothers and I, all four of us are Eagle Scouts. All four of us are officers in the United States military. All four of us have served oversees. It was because of the upbringing of my dad and his instilling in me a desire to serve the public." What Happens Next The South Carolina gubernatorial election is scheduled to take place on November 3, 2026.
The Hill
29-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Mace leading South Carolina Republican gubernatorial primary polling
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), who has teased a run for governor in South Carolina, is leading a hypothetical 2026 GOP gubernatorial field in new polling. The survey from the nonpartisan research organization South Carolina Policy Council found Mace with 16 percent support from Republican-identifying voters — 1 point ahead of Attorney General Alan Wilson (R), who launched his campaign last month. Lt. Gov. Pam Evette (R) earned 8 percent, Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) snagged 6 percent and state Sen. Josh Kimbrell was at 3 percent. At the same time, a little more than half of respondents — 52 percent — were still undecided. 'I will be making a decision over the next couple of days about my future,' Mace told Fox News over the weekend. 'I believe I may be forced to run for governor because I can't watch my beautiful red state of South Carolina go woke. It's gone woke over the last couple of years.' On Monday, she posted a graphic promising a 'special announcement' and 'big things ahead.' Mace would enter a crowded GOP primary to succeed term-limited Gov. Henry McMaster (R) in the Palmetto State, but framed the election as a potential face-off against Wilson. 'This is a two-man race, if I get in, between me and Alan Wilson, the South Carolina attorney general, who likes to put pedophiles on trial and give them one day in jail,' the congresswoman said. Mace flipped South Carolina's 1st Congressional District to GOP control in 2020, and won reelection by double digits last year. A staunch supporter of President Trump, Mace backed him in the 2024 GOP presidential primary over her fellow South Carolinian, former Gov. Nikki Haley (R), who has notably endorsed Norman in the gubernatorial race. On the Democratic side, 83 percent in the new South Carolina Policy Council poll were undecided, with potential contenders scoring just 5 percent or less. Democratic state Rep. Jermaine Johnson launched an exploratory committee for the 2026 race last month. Cook Political Report rates the open race as solid Republican, and whoever wins the Republican primary next year is seen as the heavy favorite to win the November election. The poll of 1,200 registered voters statewide, conducted by Targoz Market Research from July 21-25, has a margin of error of 2.77 percentage points. Norman had not yet launched when the poll was in the field.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rep. Wesley Hunt praised in statewide ads as Cornyn kicks off reelection campaign
WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt is getting help spreading his name around the state as talk circulates of a potential Senate run by the Houston Republican. A social welfare organization dubbed Standing for Texas will unveil a seven-figure ad buy this week praising Hunt for his work supporting President Donald Trump's agenda. The ad will air in the Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and Lubbock markets to start — far from his home base in Houston — and will hit cable, streaming and broadcast. The group is an independent organization that is not part of the Hunt campaign. Standing for Texas' ads fete Hunt as a 'combat veteran, West Point graduate and proud Texan. A fearless America-first Republican who stands with President Trump to put Texas first.' The ad encourages viewers to call Hunt and 'thank him for putting Texas first,' while listing the phone number for his Washington office. Hunt said in a statement to the Tribune that he was 'humbled' by the ads, adding it is 'no surprise that many Texas conservatives are frustrated with the status quo.' He boasted of his work on pro-oil and gas legislation under President Joe Biden and directing over $75 million in federal funds to his district. 'Texans recognize that a focused, principled Representative can achieve far more for the people than most Senators ever will,' Hunt said. 'This role isn't about chasing status — it's about delivering results. And when you use this office as a weapon for the people, not a tool for personal gain, you don't just make noise. You make history.' Sen. John Cornyn is up for reelection this cycle, and he is facing a challenging primary terrain. This will be Cornyn's first reelection after he pushed through a bipartisan gun safety bill that prompted Texas Republicans to jeer him as capitulating on gun control. Cornyn released a video Wednesday formally launching his reelection campaign, leaning heavily into his time as Republican whip during the first Trump presidency. Cornyn voted with Trump's legislative agenda more than 92% of the time during Trump's first term, and supported every Trump appointee. 'In President Trump's first term, I was Republican whip, delivering the votes for his biggest wins,' Cornyn said. 'Now I'm running for reelection and asking for your support so President Trump and I can pick up where we left off.' Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has repeatedly telegraphed that he is interested in a primary run against Cornyn, saying the four-term senator has lost the confidence of the Republican base. Cornyn has some of the lowest approval ratings with Republican-identifying voters among statewide Republicans in Texas. Cornyn retorts that he has faced primary challenges in the past and is confident he can win reelection next year. 'There's a reason why I've been elected by large margins every time I've run for office. And that's because the 31 million people in Texas know me,' Cornyn told KSAT this month. 'I'm not particularly concerned about that. If the time comes that this gentleman or anybody else decides to run, we'll be ready for that and we'll take our case to the voters.' Hunt is a second-term congressman who has close ties with Trump. He campaigned on Trump's behalf during last year's presidential election, leading outreach to Black men. Hunt was the first Texan to speak on the Republican National Convention main stage. His name has come up repeatedly in Republican circles as a potential candidate for U.S. Senate. Hunt has not made any announcements that he would run. But he has made moves to increase his name ID outside of his Houston base. Hellfire PAC, a political action committee affiliated with Hunt, started running statewide ads on talk radio earlier this month introducing Hunt, The Houston Chronicle reported at the time. 'I'm Wesley Hunt, and I'm calling on all Texans to continue supporting our great president,' Hunt says in the radio ads. Paxton enjoys considerably higher name recognition in the state, having already won three elections for Texas attorney general. U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Amarillo, also made moves to increase his name ID outside of his Panhandle district. In 2022, he launched TV spots targeting Latino voters around the state. We can't wait to welcome you to the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Texas' breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin. Step inside the conversations shaping the future of education, the economy, health care, energy, technology, public safety, culture, the arts and so much more. Hear from our CEO, Sonal Shah, on TribFest 2025. TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
As Texas gets redder, John Cornyn could face toughest primary season of his career
WASHINGTON — Sen. John Cornyn is facing what could be the toughest primary challenge of his career as the state party takes a decidedly rightward turn and his popularity among Republican voters dips from 2020 highs. It's a remarkable turn for the four-term senator who — before last year losing his bid for party leader — had never lost an election in his life, served in the highest echelons of the Senate Republican Conference, had an early hand in the Republican takeover of Texas and secured a host of legislative wins directly impacting the state. Attorney General Ken Paxton has repeatedly hinted that he's interested in challenging Cornyn in the Republican primary, saying on Fox News he could be making moves soon. 'As far as my plans, right now, I don't know. I'm just going to serve as attorney general,' Paxton said. 'I'm looking potentially at the U.S. Senate. We'll look at that over the next couple of months.' Cornyn's office confirmed last week that he was still in the race. But polling suggests that if Cornyn and Paxton were to have a primary today, Paxton would win. Among Republican-identifying voters, Cornyn has an approval rating of 48% — one of the lowest of state-wide office holders, according to a polling aggregate by the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin. Paxton, meanwhile, has an approval rating of 60% among Republican-identifying voters. Texas' other senator, Ted Cruz, has an approval rating of 78% among Republicans. If Cornyn were to retire, several members of the U.S. House could also launch a bid. U.S. Reps. Beth Van Duyne of Irving, Wesley Hunt of Houston and Ronny Jackson of Amarillo have all been discussed in Republican circles, though none have publicly vocalized their intentions as Paxton has. Jackson was Trump's physician in the White House, and Trump's endorsement in his first race for Congress in 2020 helped Jackson beat controversy in the primary over allegations of workplace abuse during his time in the White House. Jackson is an impressive fundraiser for a House member in a deeply red seat, raising more than $6 million in the last election cycle. He invested in Spanish-language ads in 2022 to raise his name recognition among voters outside his district. Jackson's campaign did not respond to a request for comment. Van Duyne was the first mayor to endorse Trump when she was mayor of Irving, and was the 2024 Texas GOP victory chair, campaigning for Cruz and Trump. Her campaign didn't say if she was considering entering the primary. 'Beth is focused on delivering President Trump's America First agenda: secure borders, confronting Mexican cartels, tax relief and lower costs for working families, American energy dominance, and an economy with rising wages,' her campaign said in a statement. Hunt led much of the Trump campaign's outreach to Black men in the last election cycle and interviewed to be his Defense secretary late last year. Trump endorsed Hunt in his Congressional races in 2020 and 2022, and Hunt has proven himself a prodigious fundraiser, raising more than $7 million in his first U.S. House race. Hunt was recognized with a primetime speaking slot at the Republican National Convention this year. Hunt's campaign declined to comment for this story. But Cornyn is not making any signs of stopping. He has taken on more committee assignments this year — several that will be central to some of the biggest policy priorities of the Trump presidency. He finished 2024 with $4.1 million in cash on hand, according to a source briefed on his fundraising operation, and has been meeting with some of his biggest supporters throughout Texas since the beginning of the year. When asked if he would still run for reelection shortly after losing the leadership race, Cornyn said, 'absolutely.' Cornyn has faced primary challenges from the right before and mobilized his formidable operation to quash them. He ran against a crowded primary in 2014 with seven Republicans hoping to unseat him, including then-U.S. Rep. Steve Stockman. The Friendswood Republican at the time cited Cornyn's distaste for Sen. Ted Cruz's filibuster against government funding legislation that would fund the Affordable Care Act. Cornyn, who was Senate minority whip at the time, said the tactic was not effective, though he shared Cruz's antipathy for the health care law. Cornyn obliterated the opposition. He won his primary with 62% of the vote. Stockman secured just over 17%. Cornyn raised over $11 million in that race. Stockman raised just over $115,000. In 2020, Cornyn faced a potential challenge from U.S. Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Sherman, who was then a state senator. Fallon said at the time that Cornyn 'has had 18 years. Some of the things you agree with until you check under the hood' as he launched an exploratory committee into a Senate run. But Cornyn was armed not only with his bountiful funds but also endorsements from across the Republican ideological spectrum. Cruz endorsed Cornyn in December 2018 — two years early and less than a month after securing his own victory against Democratic U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke. Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Trump also endorsed Cornyn ahead of the 2020 primary. Fallon eventually decided against running in the primary and ran for the U.S. House that year. Cornyn won reelection handily. Fallon did not respond to a request for comment. This time, Cornyn has not yet secured the endorsements that helped stave off a primary challenge in 2020. Cruz, whom Cornyn helped with over $500,000 in his own competitive reelection campaign last year, has not endorsed in the Senate primary. When asked if he had spoken to Cornyn about endorsing him, Cruz said 'it's early to worry about politics in a race two years away. John Cornyn and I have worked together very closely for the last 13 years, and we will continue to work together very closely.' 'We'll have plenty of time to have those conversations,' Cruz continued when asked why he was not endorsing early like in 2018. He had the same answer when asked about a potential Paxton run. Cruz and Paxton operate in overlapping orbits, with senior staff for Cruz previously serving in Paxton's operation. Cruz also defended Paxton through his impeachment and enjoys considerably higher popularity among the conservative base than Cornyn. Cruz notably voted for one of Cornyn's opponents, the right-wing Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, in the first round of voting in the majority leader race. He would not say if he voted for Cornyn or Sen. John Thune of South Dakota in the second round. Thune won the majority leader race with 29 out of 53 votes. Abbott's and Patrick's campaigns did not respond when asked if they would endorse Cornyn. The endorsement that could count the most is Trump's. His endorsement has catapulted multiple Republicans through crowded primaries in Texas. The president has so far made no indication whom he would support. With the primary more than a year away, there's plenty of time to audition for the presidential blessing. Few have done more for Trump's cause — and done so more brazenly — than Paxton. He led a lawsuit challenging the results of the 2020 election and repeatedly sued the Biden administration to stop its legislative agenda. Trump gave the attorney general a special shout out during his inauguration this year. Trump even floated his name for U.S. attorney general last year. Cornyn, meanwhile, has appeared averse toward Trump in the past. He told reporters in May 2023 that Trump's 'time has passed him by,' suggesting that Trump didn't have enough appeal in a general election to win. He also expressed concern in a June interview with CBS Texas about Trump's federal indictment on keeping classified documents in his private residence, saying Trump had 'created a circumstance for himself, which is, I think, very serious.' Cornyn eventually endorsed Trump after he won the New Hampshire primary. Since Trump won back the presidency, Cornyn has not given Trump any reason to criticize him. He has steadfastly supported all of Trump's nominees, even his most controversial ones. He voted to advance Tulsi Gabbard, the former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii, to serve as Trump's director of national intelligence, despite misgivings even among Republicans about her past comments supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin and ousted Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. Cornyn has also joined Abbott in calling for the federal government to reimburse Texas for Operation Lone Star and is a founding member of the DOGE Caucus, aligning himself with the cost-cutting mission spearheaded by Elon Musk. Despite his electoral doubts, Cornyn's support for the president within the chamber has been consistent through the years. He was Senate majority whip during the first years of Trump's presidency, herding his conference to support the president's agenda on tax cuts and judicial nominations — including the controversial appointment of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Cornyn voted more than 92% of the time with Trump's agenda during his first presidency, and he voted for every Trump appointee in both the Executive and Judiciary at the time. That hasn't spared him from Trump's criticisms, particularly over his work on the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, a gun safety bill passed following the Robb Elementary shooting in Uvalde. The bill was the first gun safety bill signed into law in decades and invested heavily in community safety measures and limited the ability of high-risk individuals to access firearms. Trump called Cornyn a Republican in name only for his support of the bill, posting on social media at the time: 'The deal on 'Gun Control' currently being structured and pushed in the Senate by the Radical Left Democrats, with the help of Mitch McConnell, RINO Senator John Cornyn of Texas, and others, will go down in history as the first step in the movement to TAKE YOUR GUNS AWAY. Republicans, be careful what you wish for!!!' Cornyn and Paxton have had a storied distaste for each other. Before his time in the Senate, Cornyn served as the first Republican Texas attorney general in more than a century. He transformed the position from a sleepy government office to a major force in conservative politics. Cornyn said he was 'disturbed' by Paxton's various legal troubles and that it was an 'embarrassment' that they had not been resolved before Paxton's 2022 primary. Paxton has accused Cornyn of being a Republican in name only, urging someone to primary him. He rallied the MAGA base to denounce Cornyn's bid for majority leader, writing on social media: 'Republicans deserve better in their next leader and Texans deserve another conservative senator.' The differences go beyond personality. Paxton said in early 2024 that it was 'unbelievable' that Cornyn would vote for $95 billion in military aid for U.S. allies. Foreign military aid emerged as a major fault line between traditional defense Republicans and the far right last year. Cornyn shot back that Paxton's 'criminal defense lawyers are calling to suggest you spend less time pushing Russian propaganda and more time defending long-standing felony charges.' When Cornyn was eyeing a run for Senate majority leader, Paxton was vocally against the bid, writing on social media that Cornyn was 'anti-Trump, anti-gun, and will be focused on his highly competitive primary campaign in 2026.' Cornyn replied: 'Hard to run from prison, Ken.'
