NRCC gives support to Nancy Mace in Lowcountry congressional race against Cunningham
One South Carolina Republican running for the chance to challenge Democrat Joe Cunningham in the state’s coastal district has a competitive campaign, according to a GOP political group working to recruit conservatives to run for Congress.
The National Republican Congressional Committee included S.C. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-Berkeley, as a “contender” as part of their Young Guns program, which identifies candidates that have a good chance of winning back congressional seats for Republicans.
A “contender” is a step up from the NRCC’s “on the radar” list, which identified Mace’s and fellow 1st District hopefuls Kathy Landing and Michael Covert. The NRCC’s Young Guns program offers mentoring for candidates and sets benchmarks to gauge competitiveness.
Covert and Landing could later qualify for the program, an NRCC spokesperson said.
Mace is running in South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, which was a Republican stronghold for years until Cunningham won the seat in 2018. The 1st District supported President Donald Trump in 2016.
Mace celebrated the win over her primary opponents Wednesday.
“I’ve busted through barriers and glass ceilings all my life, and I plan to do it again this year in winning the First Congressional District,” Mace said in a statement after the announcement. “I want to go to Washington to represent the Lowcountry and the people I’ve known my entire life. Nobody will outwork me. Not now. Not ever.”
To qualify for the NRCC’s program, candidates need to “embody the principles of the House Republican Conference and show promise of running a successful campaign,” according to the program’s website.
“These hardworking candidates have proven their ability to run strong, competitive campaign operations,” U.S. House of Representatives Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, who runs the program, said in a statement. “We’re going to ensure these contenders are victorious in November by forcing their Democratic opponents to own their party’s radical socialist agenda.”
According to Advertising Analytics, which tracks political spending, the NRCC spent more than $10,000 last year advertising in the first district where Cunningham is a top target of state and national Republican groups.
Mace has raised more money than her primary opponents consistently over the last year. The Lowcountry Republican reported raising more than $860,000 last year, and a statement from her campaign said she has nearly reached $1 million.
Landing, the closest Republican challenger to Mace in terms of fundraising, raised more than $460,000 last year. Other Republicans are also fundraising in that district, including Covert and Chris Cox.
Cunningham has raised more than all of the Republicans vying to challenge him, reporting more than $2.8 million in donations as 2019 closed out.
This story was originally published February 20, 2020 at 11:24 AM.
