S.C. Republicans Who Blamed Trump For Capitol Riot Face Off Against His Endorsed Challengers

Topline

South Carolina Republican Reps. Tom Rice and Nancy Mace, who broke from former President Donald Trump following the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot, will face steep primary opposition Tuesday from Trump—and a pair of candidates he endorsed.

SOCIETY HILL, SC – AUGUST 23: U.S. Rep. Tom Rice (R-SC) listens to a constituent during a … [+] congressional town hall meeting August 23, 2017 in Society Hill, South Carolina. Topics of concern for those in attendance included Veterans Affairs, term limits, gerrymandering and the trustworthiness of special counsel Robert Mueller. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

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Key Facts

Rice was one of 10 Republicans in the House to vote in favor of impeaching Trump for his alleged role in inciting the violent January-6 insurrection at the Capitol building.

Earlier this year, Trump endorsed former South Carolina state Rep. Katie Arrington in her primary bid against Mace, and also endorsed Russell Fry, one of several GOP candidates running against Rice.

Most residents of both congressional districts on South Carolina’s coast voted for Trump in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections.

Political analysts say a runoff—which will be necessary if no candidate wins more than 50% of the vote— is likely in at least one of the two races, with a set of local polls conducted over the past month coming to wildly different conclusions.

Key Background

The primary race in South Carolina, which comes in the midst of the ongoing congressional hearings on the January. 6 riot, has been viewed by analysts as a test of Republican loyalty to Trump, and an indication of how the former president could fare in a 2024 presidential bid. Both representatives argue their loyalty is with the Republican party, and not with the former president.

Crucial Quote

Trump has called the two South Carolina elections “two of the most critical primary elections in this country.” In a June 7 rally for Arrington and Fry, he said Mace “represents phony, fake Republicans like Liz Cheney, Mitt Romney” and others.

Surprising Fact

Trump has so far had mixed results with political endorsements in other states. His support for Mehmet Oz helped the former TV personality narrowly win a primary victory for a Pennsylvania Senate seat. In Georgia, however, Trump-backed David Perdue lost his primary bid to replace Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.

What To Watch For

Five other House Republicans who voted in favor of impeachment will face primary races in August: Liz Cheney (Wyo.), Jaime Herrera Beutler (Wash.), Dan Newhouse (Wash.), Peter Meijer (Mich) and Fred Upton (Mich). Rep. David Valadao (Calif.), another supporter of the effort to impeach Trump, won his primary election last week, and three pro-impeachment House Republicans—Adam Kinzinger (Ill.), Anthony Gonzalez (Ohio) and John Katko (N.Y.) are not seeking reelection.

Tangent

Although Trump has spent over $33,000 to unseat Rice, the incumbent was an ardent supporter of Trump’s agenda while he was in office. In those four years, Rice supported Trump’s position on House votes 93.4 percent of the time, one percentage point higher than the average Republican in Congress, according to CQ Vote Watch. In regards to his vote for impeachment, he told ABC’s “This Week,” “So be it. I’ll wear it like a badge.”