Nikki Haley endorses Nancy Mace in South Carolina’s top Congressional race
Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and former United Nations ambassador, endorsed South Carolina GOP congressional candidate Nancy Mace on Wednesday morning, marking the latest effort by Republicans in the Palmetto State to unify ahead of the general election in South Carolina’s top U.S. House race.
“Democrat Joe Cunningham talks a good game in South Carolina but goes to Washington and votes with Nancy Pelosi. That doesn’t cut it,” Haley said in a statement provided by the Mace campaign.
“Nancy Mace will deliver on her promises, and that includes standing up for taxpayers and representing our values. That’s the kind of strong leadership we need in DC,” Haley said.
Mace’s campaign manager, Mara Mellstrom, confirmed Haley will headline a fundraiser in-district for Mace as part of the endorsement.
Haley, a rising GOP star who recently spoke at the Republican National Convention, is often mentioned as a potential Republican presidential candidate. Since leaving the Trump administration, Haley has continued to flex her political muscles and regularly pens op-eds on policy.
In 2019, she formed a public policy advocacy group called Stand for America. She has also been campaigning around the country for Republican congressional, senate and gubernatorial candidates.
Though Haley had previously confirmed her plans to vote for Mace in the general election, Mace welcomed Haley’s formal statement of support.
“She stands forcefully for what is right and just in strong defense of our strategic partners in peace throughout the globe. Thank you, Ambassador Nikki Haley, for your trust in me to restore truly independent, fresh, and bold leadership for SC’s First District in Congress,” Mace said in a statement.
Haley moved back to her home state of South Carolina in 2019 after serving as President Donald Trump’s U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
Now a resident of Kiawah Island, Haley is arguably the most influential Republican voter in South Carolina’s coastal 1st Congressional District, where Mace and Cunningham are competing to represent the Charleston-anchored seat.
Haley’s endorsement came two days after Mace held a unity lunch in North Charleston, where she was joined by South Carolina’s U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott, who are both Republicans. Haley did not attend.
In the 1st Congressional District, the inability for Republicans to rally around their nominee was one of the factors that led to Cunningham’s narrow 2018 victory in a seat that was Republican-led for nearly 40 years.
On the same day Mace held her unity lunch, Cunningham’s campaign began running a TV ad that featured Republicans who say they plan to buck their party and vote for him over Mace.
This story was originally published September 23, 2020 at 10:11 AM with the headline "Nikki Haley endorses Nancy Mace in South Carolina’s top Congressional race."
