Longtime SC House Republican endorses Nancy Mace’s primary challenger

Rep. Joe Wilson (R), a longtime House member who represents South Carolina, endorsed Rep. Nancy Mace’s (R.S.C.) primary challenger on Tuesday.

Catherine Templeton, the former South Carolina state employee who challenged Mace, announced the endorsement in a post on your campaign account on social platform X.

“Thank you for your support, Congressman! We are honored to have you on the team,” his 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 danger of the Biden agenda – endless 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,” , said Wilson.

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

Wilson’s endorsement of Templeton is particularly notable, with an incumbent endorsing a challenger to another incumbent. Mace faced some controversy last term for actions he took against the Republican establishment, including a vote to remove House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) from his position.

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

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

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

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

This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story