CHAPIN, S.C. – Rep. Ralph Norman, among the many most conservative Republicans within the U.S. Home, is getting into South Carolina’s 2026 governor’s race.
The rich actual property developer and longtime ally of former Gov. Nikki Haley is predicted to file his candidacy paperwork with state officers on Friday, his marketing campaign informed The Related Press.
Norman has lengthy been mulling a marketing campaign for the state’s highest workplace. However not like a number of of his fellow candidates, he is not anticipated to hunt the endorsement of the Republican whose backing in South Carolina GOP politics issues most: President Donald Trump.
Norman, 72, joins a number of different introduced candidates, together with Lawyer Basic Alan Wilson and Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, within the race for subsequent June’s GOP major, and Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina’s 1st District is quickly anticipated to announce her marketing campaign. All three have touted their ties to Trump, who has maintained reputation within the state since his 2016 major win there helped cement his standing because the GOP presidential nominee.
Representing South Carolina’s fifth District, Norman stridently backed Trump throughout his first time period, voting towards both House impeachments of the president. Through the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters, he urged the then-president to declare “Marshall Regulation” in a textual content to White Home chief of workers Mark Meadows — misstating the time period martial regulation whilst he known as for upending the peaceful transfer of power.
However within the 2024 presidential marketing campaign, Norman was one in all solely two Home members nationwide to endorse Haley’s candidacy. The previous South Carolina governor, who served as Trump’s United Nations ambassador, was his final major challenger to depart the race, and Norman incessantly appeared along with her alongside the marketing campaign path.
Each elected to the state Home in 2004, Norman and Haley turned legislative allies, and Norman was amongst few elected officers who backed Haley’s rebel, and in the end profitable, 2010 gubernatorial bid. Within the 2024 presidential marketing campaign, Norman partly argued that Haley may serve two full phrases, whereas Trump may solely go on to serve one.
Norman has incessantly operated outdoors the mainstream even amongst his dwelling state’s GOP circles. In 2018, as Gov. Henry McMaster — with Trump’s backing — confronted a number of major challengers as he sought his first full time period in workplace after succeeding Haley as governor, Norman endorsed Catherine Templeton, an legal professional who had served Haley’s gubernatorial administration in a number of capacities.
Norman has lengthy been a member of the Home Freedom Caucus, comprised of the chamber’s most conservative members. In keeping with GovTrack.us, the deficit hawk has historically ranked because the state’s most conservative U.S. Home member and among the many high most conservative members nationwide, based mostly on his legislative exercise.
He has been within the U.S. Home since profitable a 2017 particular election to switch Mick Mulvaney, whom Trump appointed to guide the Workplace of Administration and Price range.
In 2018, South Carolina Democrats known as for felony expenses after Norman pulled out his own loaded handgun throughout a gathering with constituents to make a degree about gun security. Lawyer Basic Alan Wilson — who can be in search of subsequent yr’s GOP gubernatorial nomination — declined to press expenses.
Through the COVID-19 pandemic, Norman, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky had been fined $500 apiece for not carrying face coverings on the Home flooring, which was a requirement on the time. They sued Democratic then-Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi, subsequently dropping an attraction over the incident.
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Kinnard will be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP.
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