Tom Rice Ousted by Trump Endorsed Opponent, Nancy Mace Holds the Line in South Carolina Primaries

Rep. Tom Rice lost his primary election to South Carolina state Rep. Russell Fry, while Rep. Nancy Mace narrowly avoided a runoff against her opponent Katie Arrington in a tough primary election night Tuesday.

Rice is trailing Fry with 25 percent, and Fry at 51 percent, with over 95 percent of precincts reporting in the 7th Congressional District, according to The New York Times.

As for Mace, she leads Arrington 53 percent to 45 percent, with 88 percent of precincts reporting in the 1st Congressional District. Cook Political Report’s Dave Wasserman called the race for Mace at 10:55 Eastern Time. (See live results below – click the “Change Race” option at the upper right of each map to toggle between the races.)

I've seen enough: Rep. Nancy Mace (R) defeats Trump-endorsed Katie Arrington (R) in the #SC01 GOP primary.

— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) June 15, 2022

There are other candidates in both races, so if one were to drop below 50 percent, it would proceed to a runoff. However, it does not look likely given how many votes are counted already.

Mace and Rice became targets of former President Donald Trump, as Mace has been frequently critical of Trump and Rice voted for his post-Jan. 6 impeachment.

“Katie Arrington’s policies are perfect, she’s a hard worker and she loves the great state of South Carolina, where she has the tremendous backing of almost all who know her — especially when she is compared to Nancy Mace!” Trump said in a Save America PAC statement on Sunday.

On a national level, Rice keeps a low-key profile compared to Mace, who frequently appears on cable news. It’s hard to tell how this translated on the ground for both candidates, but Mace’s distinct brand might have set her up for an easier victory compared to her ousted counterpart.

If there’s a lesson tonight, and every other primary night thus far, it’s that Trump’s endorsement is a mixed bag. While it certainly does give many candidates a boost, it might not bring everyone over the edge. Every congressional district has different concerns and unique political dynamics, so it’s hard to prescribe a uniform benefit to his stamp of approval.