SC Medal of Honor recipient endorses Katie Arrington for Congress in blow to Nancy Mace
A South Carolina Medal of Honor recipient who supported Nancy Mace two years ago when she first ran for Charleston’s seat in Congress has now changed his mind about sending her back to Washington for another two-year term.
Retired Maj. Gen. James Livingston announced he will instead be voting for Republican Katie Arrington in the 2022 Republican primary contest this June, delivering a victory for Arrington as she seeks to unseat a GOP incumbent who represents a South Carolina congressional district that is home to the largest veteran population in the state.
Hours after Livingston pledged his support for Arrington, the Republican grandson of legendary World War II Army Gen. George S. Patton announced he would be supporting Mace in the contest.
The dueling military-themed endorsements Wednesday morning illustrate the intensifying Republican congressional primary contest unfolding in South Carolina’s 1st District, which, so far, has been playing out largely as a back-and-forth battle over who is backing whom.
Until Wednesday, much of the fight for public support in the contest had been over figures tied to former President Donald Trump.
Trump has endorsed Arrington in the GOP primary race.
Arrington and Trump will speak at a Trump rally being held in Florence Saturday to boost Republicans in the Palmetto State.
Livingston, a Republican who lives in Mount Pleasant who has become a sought-after endorsement in local South Carolina GOP contests in his own right, announced his decision to support Arrington in statement Wednesday, which was shared by Arrington’s congressional campaign.
It was a stunning departure for Livingston, who in 2020 not only supported Mace but appeared in a TV commercial for her and defended Mace in op-eds leading up to the general election contest.
In his statement Wednesday, Livingston did not mention Mace at all.
He called Arrington, a former State House lawmaker from Summerville, “a fighter that will stand up for the needs of the Lowcountry.” He also praised Arrington for her time working at the Department of Defense.
“As we face unprecedented times under Joe Biden’s weak leadership that has lead to rising crime, attacks on our communities, and unprecedented crises across the board, it is imperative we send a fighter to Washington, D.C. that will stand up for the needs of the Lowcountry,” Livingston said in his statement.
“Time and time again, Katie has demonstrated a strong commitment to advocating for those in the 1st Congressional District. Her business background, alongside her time at the Department of Defense, serves as further proof that she has the necessary experience to represent us in Congress,” he concluded.
Livingston now joins Trump and two of the former president’s administration officials in endorsing Arrington who is running on an “America First” platform.
Last week, Arrington was endorsed by both Richard “Ric” Grenell, Trump’s former director of National Intelligence and the American ambassador to Germany, and Rear Admiral John Polowczyk, the senior Navy officer that Trump put in charge of coordinating the federal government’s collection and distribution of medical supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, Mace has been touting support from Trump administration officials, like former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who served as Trump’s U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and Trump’s former acting White House chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney.
On Wednesday, she added another endorsement to her list.
Pat Waters, the grandson of famed World War II Army Gen. George S. Patton, announced he would endorse Mace in her reelection after he supported Democrat Joe Cunningham over her in 2020.
It was only the second time he has weighed in on a race so close to home. Like Livingston, Waters is also a 1st District voter who lives in Mount Pleasant.
“I’ve grown to greatly respect and admire Nancy Mace’s tenacious and honest representation in Washington. You always know where she stands — and she doesn’t fall in line in Washington,” Waters said in a statement shared by Mace’s campaign.
“She stands out, stands up and always put the Lowcountry first. Nancy represents the kind of leadership we desperately need,” he continued.
In addition to Arrington, Mace has also drawn two additional Republican challengers who, like Arrington, identify as “America First” candidates: North Charleston military wife Lynz Piper-Loomis and Ingrid Centurion, a veteran and author.
The Republican primary is June 14.
