Mace snubs Trump's preferred Senate candidate, backs Ralph Norman instead

FIRST ON FOX: A key South Carolina Republican is breaking from President Donald Trump in the race to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham.

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., is planning to endorse her colleague and former foe in the race to be South Carolina’s governor, Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., in what is shaping up to be a messy snap election in the Palmetto State.

"This is it. A once-in-a-generation opportunity to send a tried-and-true conservative warrior to the United States Senate," Mace said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "Ralph Norman doesn't bend, doesn't break, and doesn't back down."

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"He's fought the swamp, fought reckless spending, and fought for South Carolina at every turn," she continued. "If you want a proven conservative with a 100% conservative voting record, Ralph Norman is the man. I'm all in, and South Carolina should be too."

Her endorsement comes after she announced her decision not to run, and will come as the weeklong filing period for the special election, which is scheduled for Aug. 11, opens up. Mace isn’t the only lawmaker backing Norman’s candidacy, which he announced over the weekend after asking Trump for his endorsement.

Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Mike Lee, R-Utah, have also thrown their endorsement power behind him, noting their shared commitment to passing the SAVE America Act as a key factor in their support.

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Norman said in a statement to Fox News Digital that he was "honored," to score Mace’s endorsement in the race.

"Now more than ever, South Carolina needs a PROVEN conservative fighter who will stand with President Trump, advance the America First agenda, and help pass the SAVE America Act in the U.S. Senate," Norman said.

Meanwhile, Graham, who was considered to be a placeholder for the remainder of her late brother’s term, is all-in on running for a full, six-year stint in the Senate.

Trump, after meeting with her in the White House last week, threw his full support behind her, and urged, "run, Darline, run," in a Truth Social post shortly after their meeting.

Graham has so far scored endorsements from key allies in the Senate, including Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., who said, "Darline Graham is an excellent senator — she’ll continue to be an excellent senator, and she has my full support."

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Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., however, is staying out of the race for now.

Thune said that Graham is a "strong candidate," and though she lacked elected experience, he noted she was "very accomplished in her own life."

"She has a right, like everybody else, to get in that race," Thune said.

Meanwhile, another South Carolina Republican, Rep. Russell Fry, is also launching a campaign.

Both Mace and Norman went after Fry on Monday, warning that his bid for the Senate could further shrink House Republicans’ razor-thin majority and tip the balance of power in favor of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Democrats.

Fry can appear for multiple offices on the ballot under South Carolina law, He was unopposed for his primary election for South Carolina’s 7th congressional district, and if he wins the nomination, he’ll be on the ballot twice for both.

Ultimately, he’ll have to choose if he wins both, which would trigger another special election to fill his place. That is not a problem for either Mace or Norman, who both ran and failed to clinch the Republican gubernatorial nomination last month.

"I will never hand Hakeem Jeffries that gift," Mace said on X.

"If you're running for two offices at once, you've already told us who you are," she continued. "That's not about politics anymore — that's about power. You're either with the people you serve or you're not."