Vice President Mike Pence drives fundraising for Rep. Nancy Mace

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Vice President Mike Pence helped Representative Nancy Mace bring in more than $100,000 at a campaign fundraiser at the Citadel Holiday Alumni Center on Tuesday.

“We are still tallying. It was a very small event, but I will say it was a strong six figures,” Mace said.

The state representative is the military college’s first female graduate and is running against Congressman Joe Cunningham in the November decision for South Carolina’s First Congressional District.

“I am going up against an incumbent. It’s challenging anytime you are going against someone who holds a seat because you’re basically asking the voters to fire the person.” Mace said. “I truly believe South Carolina’s First Congressional District wants and deserves a truly independent voice.”

Cunningham won the district in 2018 over Republican Katie Arrington by less than two percentage points. He is the first Democrat to hold the district since 1981.

Republicans believe the seat is a perfect candidate for flipping back into Republican control. It is part of the party’s effort to reclaim the U.S. House of Representative this November.

Mace won her primary decisively, defeating three other Republicans with more than 57 percent of the vote. The arrival of Pence came at a good time for the campaign which has vastly less money than the Cunningham camp.

At the end of June, Cunningham reportedly had more than three million dollars on hand, while Mace had less than $800,000.

“If we didn’t have COVID-19, we would have had 500 people at a rally and instead we have 50 people in a room for a very small, tight-knit fundraiser,” Mace said. “COVID-19 has dramatically changed how we campaign and the way that we raise money to campaign.”

The election is November 3.

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