Long-serving House Republican from SC endorses Nancy Mace’s primary challenger

Rep. Joe Wilson (R), a longtime member of the House representing South Carolina, endorsed the primary challenger to Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) on Tuesday.

Catherine Templeton, the former South Carolina state official challenging Mace, announced the endorsement in a post on her campaign’s account on the social platform X.

“Thank you for your support, Congressman! We’re honored to have you on the team,” her post reads.

Wilson said in a statement announcing the endorsement that Templeton is “smart, honest, and dedicated” to advancing former President Trump’s agenda.

“As we face the peril of the Biden agenda—never ending inflation, taxes, crime, and illegal immigration, we need reinforcements in Congress who will always stand with conservatives, President Trump, and our beloved Lowcountry—we need Catherine Templeton in Congress,” Wilson said.

Templeton said in a statement that she was “honored” to have Wilson’s support and she looks forward to working with him under a second Trump administration.

Wilson’s endorsement of Templeton is particularly notable with one incumbent endorsing a challenger to another incumbent. Mace has faced some controversy over the past term for actions she has taken against the Republican establishment, including a vote to remove House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) from his post.

But she appears to be the favorite to win renomination for her seat representing South Carolina’s 1^st Congressional District in the state’s primaries next week. She comfortably led her primary opponents in an Emerson College Polling/The Hill survey from late last month, with Templeton the closest behind her but 25 points back.

Mace also has a notable backer in Trump, having endorsed her in March.

Templeton previously led two departments in the South Carolina state government serving under then-Gov. Nikki Haley and was an unsuccessful candidate for the GOP nomination for governor of the state in 2018.

Wilson has served in his House seat representing the state’s 2nd district since 2001.