Meet Mac, South Carolina’s new First Dog

South Carolina has a new First Dog – an adorable bulldog puppy named Mac.

S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster introduced the 11-week-old puppy Sunday afternoon in a Twitter video.

The Palmetto State has been First Dog-less since early March, when the Richland Republican’s previous bulldog, Boots, died after a battle with lymphatic cancer.

“He’s filling the big hole in our heart that was left by our wonderful English bull, Boots, who passed away not too long ago,” McMaster says in the video. “Little Mac is 11 weeks old, and he is a great little pup.”

Mac – the “prettiest little dog in the whole wide world” – is named after McMaster’s father in law, McMaster said.

It is unclear what role Mac may play in McMaster’s 2018 re-election campaign.

Boots was the star of McMaster’s successful 2014 campaign for lieutenant governor, his tongue flapping idly in campaign ads as McMaster described himself as “South Carolina’s watchdog.”

Rest in peace, Boots.

This story was originally published May 7, 2017 at 12:32 PM with the headline "Meet Mac, South Carolina’s new First Dog."