Nancy Mace Weighing Senate Run To Replace Lindsey Graham After Sudden Death
Rep. Nancy Mace is strongly considering a campaign for the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the sudden death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, according to multiple sources familiar with her plans.
Mace, a Republican representing South Carolina‘s 1st Congressional District, is exploring whether to launch a last-minute bid after Graham died Saturday following what his office described as a “brief and sudden illness.” His death has created an unexpected opening in one of the nation’s highest-profile Senate races.
The congresswoman recently finished fifth in South Carolina’s Republican gubernatorial primary and is scheduled to leave the House in January after that defeat. Despite the setback, she still has roughly $185,000 remaining in her federal campaign account, giving her a foundation if she decides to enter the Senate contest.
Mace is no stranger to challenging Graham. She ran against him in the 2014 Republican Senate primary but finished fifth. More than a decade later, the unexpected vacancy has given her another opportunity to seek the seat.
Under South Carolina law, Gov. Henry McMaster will appoint an interim senator to serve until the end of Graham’s term. Republican Party leaders are expected to hold a special primary before Aug. 11 to select the GOP nominee for the November election.
Several Republicans are reportedly weighing bids, including Reps. Ralph Norman and Russell Fry, while Rep. Joe Wilson has indicated he does not intend to run in order to help preserve the GOP’s narrow House majority.
President Trump has not publicly endorsed a successor but has said he already has someone in mind to replace Graham. The president has praised Graham’s decades of service while declining to identify his preferred candidate.
Mace has not officially announced her intentions, but sources say she is actively evaluating the race and could make a decision in the coming days as Republicans move quickly to fill one of the party’s most important Senate seats.