The first test for Kevin McCarthy’s revenge tour takes place Tuesday in South Carolina, where GOP Rep. Nancy Mace faces a primary challenger backed by the former Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Mace, one of eight Republicans in the House of Representatives who voted in October to oust McCarthy from his leadership position, has faced millions of dollars in ad spending from outside groups tied to the former California congressman. McCarthy’s leadership PAC also donated to her leading Republican opponent in the Charleston-based 1st District, attorney Catherine Templeton.
Yet Mace has outpaced Templeton and won on-air support from the conservative Club for Growth Action. She also has an endorsement from former President Donald Trump.
Mace wants to win a majority in Tuesday’s primaries to avoid being forced into a runoff later this month. Navy veteran Bill Young will also be on the ballot, along with Mace and Templeton.
In South Carolina’s 4th District, Republican Rep. William Timmons also faces a hotly contested primary against state Rep. Adam Morgan, chairman of the Legislature’s Freedom Caucus. Morgan has the support of some of Timmons’ House colleagues, turning the race into a proxy battle over internal divisions within the Republican conference. Trump endorsed Timmons in the primaries.
In South Carolina’s open 3rd District, Trump has endorsed Pastor Mark Burns in the Republican Party primary, which is expected to go to a runoff with multiple candidates on the ballot.
Beyond South Carolina, primaries will also be held in Nevada, North Dakota and Maine on Tuesday. And Trump has intervened in many of the key races.
Trump made a last-minute endorsement in Nevada’s Republican Senate primary, endorsing Army veteran Sam Brown over his former ambassador to Iceland, Jeff Gunter. The winner will face Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen in the fall in what will be a crucial race in the battle for Senate control.
Trump also put his thumb on the scale in Nevada’s 4th District, endorsing former North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee in the race to take on Democratic Rep. Steven Horsford.
In North Dakota, Trump has endorsed Republican Kelly Armstrong for governor. That put the former president on the opposite side of one of his potential running mates, outgoing Gov. Doug Burgum, who endorsed Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller.
Trump also endorsed Public Service Commissioner over former state Rep. Rick Becker in the primary to replace Armstrong in North Dakota’s at-large district.
In Maine, the former president endorsed state Rep. Austin Theriault in the Republican primary in the 2nd District, where Rep. Jared Golden is one of five Democrats running for reelection in a district Trump carried in 2020.
Aside from Tuesday’s primary, voters in Ohio’s 6th District will elect a new congressman to replace former Republican Rep. Bill Johnson, who resigned in January. Republican Sen. Michael Rulli is expected to win the deep red seat, which would expand Republicans’ slim majority in the House of Representatives.
Polls close at 7:00 PM ET in South Carolina, 7:30 PM ET in Ohio, 8:00 PM ET in Maine, 9:00 PM ET in North Dakota and 10:00 PM ET in Nevada.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
