Name: From Mike Pence to Pete Buttigieg: Big names wade into SC's top US House race
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From Mike Pence to Pete Buttigieg: Big names wade into SC's top US House race

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You are the owner of this article.You have permission to edit this article.Republican congressional candidate Nancy Mace addresses reporters after a fundraising event with Vice President Mike Pence at The Citadel Alumni Center Tuesday July 21, 2020, in Charleston. Gavin McIntyre/StaffU.S. Rep. Joe Cunningham, D-Charleston, participates in a virtual fundraiser with former Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg on Thursday, July 23, 2020. ProvidedEven before Vice President Mike Pence arrived at The Citadel, South Carolina Republican congressional candidate Nancy Mace was trying to capitalize on the visit.Eight hours before the fundraiser Tuesday, Mace's campaign manager blasted an email to supporters aimed at drumming up dollars, urging them to make a rush donation before the vice president's arrival.They called it "a Pence money-bomb.""We're entering the home stretch of our campaign," the email stressed, "and we need to make the most of opportunities like this."The visit came a week after the latest fundraising totals showed Mace, a GOP state lawmaker from Daniel Island, trailing incumbent Democrat U.S. Rep. Joe Cunningham by $2.3 million in one of the nation's top&nbsp; House races.&nbsp;Mace wasn't the only candidate who saw big-name reinforcements charging into&nbsp;South Carolina's 1st Congressional District. Two days after Pence helped raise a reported six-figures for Mace, former Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg hosted a virtual fundraiser for Cunningham.&nbsp;According to an invitation obtained by The Post and Courier, tickets for the online event ranged from $25 to $2,800.During a press call ahead of the event, Cunningham referred to Buttigieg as "my friend" and talked about his decision to again reject money from political action committees."I came to Washington, D.C. to change it and not be changed by D.C.," Cunningham said, adding that his campaign sent back $25,000 worth of PAC checks last month.The tandem of big-name fundraisers — each in the same week — underscores a dynamic shift in the race as both campaigns enter a crucial stretch."There is a broad agreement between the two parties that Cunningham is one of, if not the most, vulnerable Democratic House incumbents," said Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball, a nonpartisan University of Virginia newsletter covering U.S. campaigns and elections. "These kinds of extremely competitive races draw surrogates on both sides."&nbsp;Mace confirmed to The Post and Courier that she already has another big name lined up to host a fundraiser next week: House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La.,&nbsp;the No. 2 Republican in Congress.&nbsp;In addition to Scalise, Mace said she has "a deep bench" of Republican leaders lining up on her behalf to help close the fundraising gap."Someone calls almost&nbsp;every day offering to help. It's a long list of folks," said Mace, who declined to give specific names but noted she has heard from senators as well as other members of the House.During the last fundraising quarter, which&nbsp;spanned April 1 to June 30, Cunningham out-raised Mace significantly, reporting a stockpile of cash nearly four times larger than what she has collected.&nbsp;Cunningham now has $3 million banked for his re-election, compared to Mace's&nbsp;$743,060.The next four months, Mace said, will be crucial to her success.&nbsp;"It’s the most important quarter," she said of the stretch between July and October. "This is where we are going to make or break it."The GOP coalition forming around Mace is most apparent in fundraising emails and mailers, which her campaign has been relying on more due to the coronavirus pandemic. On Friday, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., sent a fundraising email on her behalf. Earlier in the month, one of the GOP's financial powerhouses, U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, also vouched for Mace.&nbsp;And in recent weeks, Gov. Henry McMaster sent a postmarked letter to 1st District voters asking them to support Mace and to join him in donating to her campaign. Tim Pearson, McMaster's political adviser, confirmed it was the governor's fist paid mailer for a congressional candidate in this general election cycle.Get the latest political news from The Post and Courier in your inbox.The early wave of national support does not surprise College of Charleston political scientist Gibbs Knotts. The 1st District turned blue for the first time in nearly 40 years when voters elected Cunningham in 2018 and the GOP thinks it's close enough to swing back. The seat was last represented by Republican Mark Sanford."This race has been heating up and with it determining control of the House majority, it's probably only going to get more intense," Knotts said.An incumbent's advantage and challengeIn sharp contrast to the Republican support for Mace, Cunningham has not been leaning on outside voices to make his case just yet.Cunningham's campaign confirmed his Thursday virtual joint fundraiser with Buttigieg was the first one he has participated in so far.When the pair appeared together for a virtual press availability, Buttigieg spoke of why he was going to bat for Cunningham again: A shared commitment to reforming America's campaign finance system.He added, "And the values that we stood for. I don't think you have to be a member of my Democratic party to stand up for them: freedom, democracy and security," Buttigieg said.Buttigieg campaigned for Cunningham in Charleston in 2018 when both were lesser known, but the coronavirus pandemic this year has posed a challenge for holding in-person fundraisers. Buttigieg made a promise to return to the Lowcountry once conditions improve."Sign me up," he said.Unlike Mace, Cunningham has not been sending email blasts with big political names. Instead, he's gone straight to the TV airwaves.When asked about the decision, Cunningham said there was no need to change gears if the strategy is working."We know that our values, these values, are resonating with people in the Lowcountry," he said. "We're going to continue to do the exact same thing we've been doing."None of the three TV ads that Cunningham is airing in the district feature a cameo from a major political figure in his party.&nbsp;"Cunningham has to be a little more careful," Knotts said of Cunningham's lack of big-name party boosters. "He has to think about getting folks that are little more aligned with him as a classic blue dog Democrat, and that’s the challenge of being a moderate Democrat."Though Cunningham enjoys a hefty war chest going into November, his campaign manager Allie Watters claimed Cunningham is more focused on serving his district than raising money to defend his seat."Fundraising is certainly low on Joe’s list of priorities considering what our country is currently dealing with," she said in a provided statement, pointing to a recent priority Cunnningham had of helping facilitate 250,000 medical masks for first-responders.The reality is that Cunningham is already a top banked fundraiser among House Democrats.A Post and Courier review of Cunningham’s Democratic peers in similarly vulnerable House seats showed he is in the top-third of fundraisers. In addition, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has already&nbsp;Reach Caitlin Byrd at 843-937-5590 and follow her on Twitter @MaryCaitlinByrd., Post and Courier, an Evening Post Publishing Newspaper Group. All rights reserved.&nbsp;| &nbsp;|

You are the owner of this article.You have permission to edit this article.Republican congressional candidate Nancy Mace addresses reporters after a fundraising event with Vice President Mike Pence at The Citadel Alumni Center Tuesday July 21, 2020, in Charleston. Gavin McIntyre/StaffU.S. Rep. Joe Cunningham, D-Charleston, participates in a virtual fundraiser with former Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg on Thursday, July 23, 2020. ProvidedEven before Vice President Mike Pence arrived at The Citadel, South Carolina Republican congressional candidate Nancy Mace was trying to...

From Mike Pence to Pete Buttigieg: Big names wade into SC's top US House race

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