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by WILL FOLKS
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One of former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley‘s staunchest political allies – who also happens to be one of her former love interests – is set to launch his campaign for the Palmetto State’s first congressional district this week.
State representative Marvin “Mark” Smith, 54, of Bamberg, S.C. will make a “major campaign announcement” this coming Thursday (August 14, 2025) on Daniel Island. A third-term “Republican,” Smith has represented S.C. House District 99 (.pdf) since November 2020 – taking the place of then-state representative Nancy Mace when she was elected to the U.S. Congress that year.
Smith, who runs a network of funeral homes in the Palmetto Lowcountry, now wants to follow in Mace’s footsteps a second time after the third-term U.S. congresswoman announced her intention to run for governor of South Carolina. With Mace not seeking a fourth term in congress, Smith is (or will be) part of an emerging field hoping to replace her in Washington, D.C.
Will conservatives welcome his candidacy? That remains to be seen. According to a recent scorecard published by the American Action Fund, a national pro-liberty group, Smith scored an atrocious 22.58% during the recently concluded 2025 legislative session.
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Also considering a bid? Retired U.S. Air Force colonel Alex Pelbath, a retired C-17 special operations pilot who recently left the military after 22 years of service. Earlier this year, Pelbath told FITSNews he was “prayerfully considering” a bid for the first district.
Several other candidates could potentially jump into the mix, including Charleston County council member Jenny Honeycutt. A prominent Lowcountry attorney, Costa previously served as a law clerk in the S.C. governor’s office. Honeycutt’s mother, Cindy Costa, is potent force in Palmetto politics – serving as the state’s national GOP executive committeewoman.
Honeycutt told FITSNews she and her family were “prayerfully considering a potential run for Congress.”
“The Lowcountry deserves a proven conservative leader and committed public servant,” Honeycutt said.
The name of Dorchester County councilman Jay Byars has also been floated as a potential candidate, as has that of Sam McCown – a former physician and national Club for Growth Foundation fellow.
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RELATED | FIRST DISTRICT FIELD EMERGING
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After 38 years of uninterrupted “Republican” rule, South Carolina’s first district was briefly held by Democrat Joe Cunningham from 2019-2021. Mace ousted him in the 2020 election, however, and decisively defeated a well-funded Democrat challenger in 2022.
It’s not immediately clear who will run on the Democrat side, although state representative Spencer Wetmore – who occupies a swing district in the S.C. House – is often touted as a viable option for her party.
Wetmore is not inclined to seek the seat, sources familiar with her thinking have told FITSNews.
The latest Partisan Voting Index (PVI) from the Cook Political Report has the first district is listed as R+6, which is slightly more centrist than it was two years ago (R+7).
Filing for this seat is expected to open in mid-March of 2026, with partisan primary elections scheduled for June 9, 2026. If no candidate receives a majority of votes, runoff elections between the top two candidates would be held two weeks later.
The general election is currently scheduled for November 3, 2026.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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3 comments
Mark Smith is a stand up guy from all my days in Charleston. I’ve always been impressed with his integrity and work ethic. He built a business by himself from nothing.
No thanks. We don’t need another Nikki Haley ally in any political office. Markey sponsored the newest cell phone legislation so we know he is about more government in our lives and in our laps. He needs to stick to stuffing stiffs.
We call our state a Trump state.
But the truth is that Nikki Haley moderates run SC.