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Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital ahead of Tuesday’s South Carolina Republican gubernatorial primary that President Donald Trump’s endorsement has done little to boost her opponent’s standing with conservative voters, arguing that many grassroots Republicans are “very upset” with the decision.
“It’s not going over well for her with the grassroots, which is why she didn’t get much of a bump,“ Mace said. “She got maybe a five point bump — not much.”
“And she’s going to be in a runoff and I think at that point all bets are off.”
Mace was referring to South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, whom Trump endorsed last week, as Mace and Trump have publicly broken in recent months.
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Mace and Trump have split publicly ahead of South Carolina’s governor’s race, with the congresswoman arguing her push for the release of Epstein-related files may have jeopardized her chances of securing the president’s endorsement. (Win McNamee/Getty Images; Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
“It’s a dog fight,” Mace said. “We’re in it and I’m gonna fight to the death.”
Mace shared that she wasn’t shocked when Trump chose not to endorse her because of her vote in Congress to push for the release of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“I knew it was on the line when I voted to release the Epstein files, and I’m a survivor,” Mace said. “If the price to pay for an endorsement was to not release those files, I would never pay it.”
Mace was one of four Republicans to sign a petition last year to force a vote in the House on the Epstein Files Transparency Act, legislation that urged the Department of Justice to publish all its information on its probe into Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell — millions of documents.
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Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell pictured in 2005. (Joe Schildhorn/Patrick McMullan/Getty Images)
Trump’s endorsement in the Republican primary was also in favor of South Carolina’s current term-limited governor, Henry McMaster, who has also endorsed Evette as his potential successor. Trump wrote that he expected Evette would choose the current governor’s son, Henry McMaster Jr., as her lieutenant governor.
“Pam Evette is a good friend, fighter, and WINNER, and will be a terrific Governor of South Carolina,” the president posted. “Pam has my Complete and Total Endorsement — SHE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”
Trump’s endorsement came days before the June 9 primary and as early voting was getting underway in South Carolina.
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President Donald Trump signs an executive order directing a customs crackdown amid trade gaps in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C. (Photographer: Shawn Thew/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Tuesday’s crowded Republican primary field includes Evette, Attorney General Alan Wilson, Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., businessman Rom Reddy and Mace. If no candidate wins a majority, the top two finishers will advance to a runoff — a situation Mace predicted could reshape the race despite Trump’s backing of Evette.
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“I disagree with this endorsement,” Mace said. “And I’m going to vote for myself. I’m asking voters in South Carolina to vote for me as well on Tuesday.“
