Spurned by President Donald Trump, Republican Reps. Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman both fell short Tuesday in their bids to become South Carolina’s next governor.
With no candidate taking a majority of the vote, the GOP primary to succeed term-limited Gov. Henry McMaster is heading for a June 23 runoff between Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, who has Trump’s endorsement, and state Attorney General Alan Wilson, the son of Rep. Joe Wilson.
Evette was leading the field with 29 percent of the vote around 11:30 p.m. Eastern time, followed by Wilson with 26 percent. Norman trailed with about 16 percent, while Mace had 12 percent, just behind businessman Rom Reddy at 14 percent, according to The Associated Press. The Republican nominee will be heavily favored to prevail over Democrat Jermaine Johnson in November in a deep-red state where the GOP has controlled the governor’s mansion since 2003.
Mace and Norman are the latest Republican House members from reliably red seats to stumble in their quest for higher office. Last week, South Dakota’s Dusty Johnson and Iowa’s Randy Feenstra also lost gubernatorial contests.
Other GOP House members to fall short in statewide bids this year include conservative firebrand Chip Roy, who lost his race for Texas attorney general in a runoff last month; Texas Rep. Wesley Hunt, who finished third in the Lone Star State’s Senate primary in March; and Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter, who failed to qualify for next week’s Senate runoff election in Georgia.
