South Carolina's Mace gets boost from McCarthy, Gabbard

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Republican U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina is getting a boost from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and other political figures in the closing week before the midterm elections as she seeks a second term representing her fast-growing district. In their only debate, Andrews responded by saying she doesn't support such surgeries for children but does back “evidenced-based medical care, with parental consent, for teens struggling with gender identity issues.” The 1st District, which stretches along much of South Carolina's southern coast, is the only one among South Carolina's seven House districts with a recent history of changing hands. Mace fended off an intense primary challenge from Katie Arrington, a former state House member with the backing of former President Donald Trump, who had solicited “any interest from good and SMART America First Republican Patriots” to run against a list of sitting House Republicans, including Mace. He was in South Carolina earlier this year to headline a fundraiser for the state Republican Party and endorsed Mace during her 2020 run, praising Mace's "tireless work ethic, conservative track record, and ability to get things done.” Suarez, who won a nonpartisan reelection last year, is a registered Republican and recently floated the possibility of running for president in 2024, casting himself as unafraid to buck his party's establishment.