Has state representative Nancy Mace proved herself as the true frontrunner in South Carolina’s crowded and competitive first congressional district race?
Her most recent campaign fundraising report says she has.
Mace raised $892,000 during the first six months of her campaign, according to a press release. The second-term state representative from Daniel Island is among four Republicans vying for Democrat Joe Cunningham’s seat this November.
“Nancy Mace has now positioned herself as the clear frontrunner,” Steven Wright, a Lowcountry GOP activist, told FITSNews. “Not only is she raising the resources required to win, her message is clearly resonating with the voters in the First District.”
Mace is up against three other Republicans — Mount Pleasant town councilwoman Kathy Landing, Beaufort county councilman Michael Covert and “Bikers for Trump” founder Chris Cox.
While Mace appears to be the unequivocal frontrunner, Landing isn’t too far behind. Her TV commercial titled “Real Quid Pro Quo” made quite a splash last month. Though her campaign didn’t provide recent totals before publication, the Federal Election Commission reported Landing had raised the second highest amount in the race as of Sept. 30.
Though Mace’s numbers are impressive and show immense progress, they hardly compare to her real opponent in this swing congressional district.
Cunningham raised more than $900,000 in the final three months of 2019, bringing his total to a whopping $2.1 million for his re-election bid, according to a recent press release.
To compare, Mace raised $375,000 in the fourth quarter.
In a statement, Cunningham campaign manager Allie Waters said the fundraising momentum “reflects the excitement” the Lowcountry has for Cunningham.
“Joe has spent his first year in Congress putting the Lowcountry first and reaching across the aisle to solve problems, which is why voters are working so hard to keep Joe in office,” she said.
Cunningham has recently faced criticism for not putting the Lowcountry over Party in his vote supporting impeachment — and a recent poll showed the move may have hurt him in the race.
“The poll found that 47 percent of district residents said they viewed Cunningham less favorably for his handling of impeachment while only 38 percent said they viewed him more favorably,” FITSNews recently reported.
National interest groups will be the real big spenders in this campaign, though. Republicans have vowed to make SC-1 a top priority for the the 2020 election. Before Cunningham won the seat in 2018, the Republican Party had held this district covering the S.C. coast from Hilton Head to Charleston for almost 40 years.
In the meantime, Liberals have been pouring funds into Cunningham’s campaign. He has already raised $500,000 more for this race than he raised in his entire 2018 campaign.
Mace remains hopeful in her mission to win the seat back.
“Joe Cunningham has sold out to party politics and refuses to put the Lowcountry first before his party,” she said in a release. “With our growing team, ample resources, and faithful supporters, our campaign is prepared to take back the 1st Congressional District.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Mandy Matney is the news director at FITSNews. She’s an award-winning journalist from Kansas who has worked for newspapers in Missouri, Illinois, and South Carolina before making the switch to FITS. She currently lives on Hilton Head Island where she enjoys beach life. Want to contact Mandy? Send your story ideas, comments, suggestions and tips to mandy@fitsnews.com.
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