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by MARK POWELL
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Congresswoman Nancy Mace perfectly encapsulated the third gubernatorial debate of the 2026 South Carolina Republican primary election, held on Tuesday evening (May 26, 2027) at Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C.
“I’m sure ya’ll thought I was going to be the crazy one tonight!” she exclaimed.
Mace was spot on. The candidate who made a name for herself early on in this race as a verbal flame thrower was sweetness personified in the third and final debate before the June 9, 2026 Republican gubernatorial primary.
Her rivals? Not so much…
Four-term attorney general Alan Wilson, fifth district congressman Ralph Norman and Lowcountry multi-millionaire Rom Reddy blistered each other during the one-hour exchange. In fact, Reddy continued to harangue Norman after the debate was over – crashing the latter’s post-debate press conference.
“Talk to me, man, you talk to me!” Reddy yelled at Norman as he attempted to address reporters following the forum. “Stop calling me a fraud!”
“You are a fraud,” Norman fired back.
“You are a fraud, too,” Reddy replied. “We’re both frauds.”
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“We’re both frauds.” @RomReddySC to @RalphNorman pic.twitter.com/9ylL8dOgCN
— FITSNews (@fitsnews) May 27, 2026
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It was that kind of night…
Lieutenant governor Pamela Evette, one of the race’s frontrunners, declined an invitation to this particular mêlée – opting instead to attend a get-out-the-vote rally in North Myrtle Beach on the first day of early voting. The SCGOP said the remaining candidate, state senator Josh Kimbrell, failed to meet the polling threshold required to participate.
Precious little substantive ground was covered during this third public exchange among the GOP contenders because, as much as they are clearly loathe to admit, there’s just not a whole lot of differentiation between them.
Different styles? Yes. Different approaches? Absolutely.
Different views? Not really…
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On the subject of judicial reform, each candidate believes powerful lawyer-legislators electing the judges they try cases before is bad.
When it comes to education, each candidate believes the current system is deplorable; and it’s time for South Carolina to get serious about reforming it.
On the subject of roads and bridges, each candidate believes the Palmetto State’s infrastructure is beyond terrible; and has vowed to fix it.
On the subject of the state’s income tax, each wants to eliminate it.
Scout Motors? Each candidate has derided this crony capitalist misadventure to be a classic boondoggle.
On the issue of data centers, there was limited divergence – from Reddy proposing a total ban to Norman saying the state should stop incentivizing them to Wilson saying local communities should decide for themselves what economic development they would seek to welcome.
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With no major policy issues separating them, the only thing left to argue about was personal animus. And that’s where this debate – unlike the two which preceded it – didn’t disappoint. In a state which cherishes its military legacy, South Carolinians got a look at how their would-be governors handle themselves under fire.
The first half hour was mostly spent playing nice. But midway through the exchange, Norman uncorked a broadside about about Wilson allegedly wasting “money on the Murdaugh trial,” a reference to the internationally watched double homicide trial of accused killer Alex Murdaugh.
Wilson’s office is having to retry the case after jury tampering by a court official resulted in the state supreme court reversing Murdaugh’s convictions.
“It’s not right,” Norman said, citing “all the money he’s costing taxpayers having to retry (the case).”
“Two people were brutally murdered,” Wilson shot back. “They deserve justice. And I’ll spend whatever it takes to deliver them justice.”
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While some of my opponents want to use the Murdaugh case for political talking points, I’m focused on one thing: justice.
— Alan Wilson (@AGAlanWilson) May 26, 2026
Two people were brutally murdered. Their family deserves justice, and I will do whatever it takes to see that through. pic.twitter.com/5YUy5tcYf2
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Reddy trained his fire on Norman – slamming him for being a “career politician” and for endorsing former S.C. governor Nikki Haley over president Donald Trump during the 2024 presidential race.
“You know, he says all of us are lying,” Reddy said. “So, let’s talk about him. He says he’s not a career politician. He’s been there for 20 years. Really? Where do you start? Thirty years (to be) a career politician? Give it up. He endorsed Nikki Haley (for president) over President Trump. Does anyone know that? Anyone remember that?”
Norman wasted little time in firing back at the diminutive Indian-Italian, accusing him of suing the state because he built a wall “without permits.”
“This is a guy that built a wall illegally on a lot, and now he’s suing the state that he wants to be governor of,” Norman said. “It doesn’t make sense. He’s lying. I don’t know where you’re from, but in South Carolina you get permits.”
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Ralph Norman DESTROYS Rom Reddy:
— Ralph Norman Fan (@RalphNormanFan) May 27, 2026
You’re suing the state because the wall you built didn’t have permits—I don’t know where you’re from, but in South Carolina you get permits. You took money for a DOGE commission, when you were really just running for Governor.
You’re a FRAUD. pic.twitter.com/v2cVeqSvC4
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“Government stepped onto my land and claimed it,” Reddy shot back. “So, if I pay taxes and I own it, I will defend it. That’s called property rights, Mr. Conservative… and I will defend the property rights of every citizen in South Carolina. He just said he won’t.”
Norman further accused Reddy of lying about his record as it pertained to supporting Trump’s signature second term legislation – the so-called ‘One Big Beautiful Bill‘ – and his alleged proximity to Silfab Solar, a controversial solar panel manufacturer located in his home county.
“He’s lying about the fact that I didn’t vote for (the One) Big Beautiful Bill – I did,” Norman said. “That’s an outright lie. And he said I own land where Silfab was. It’s a lie… he’s just not truthful.”
For her part, Mace played the role of peacemaker when it came her turn to talk.
“I feel like I’m in the middle of an oversight hearing,” she joked.
A nervous truce of sorts followed. But it didn’t last long. Even Mace took a swipe at Evette for being MIA.
“All of us had the courage to step into the arena tonight, the four of us — leaving one out that didn’t have the courage to be here this evening,” Mace said. “This is a job interview… (and) she didn’t have the courage to be here.”
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One candidate did not have the courage to be here tonight.
— Nancy Mace (@NancyMace) May 26, 2026
Thank you to the candidates that stepped into the arena. pic.twitter.com/OUPVrWFDQl
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Those who did show up continued to uncork haymakers at each other.
“I can’t tell if he just doesn’t remember, or he just makes up stuff,” Reddy said of Norman at one point.
Meanwhile, Norman blasted Reddy for disingenuously abandoning his DOGE SC movement in favor of a gubernatorial bid.
“You took money under the guise of having some big DOGE commission, but you were really running for governor,” Norman said. “You are a fraud.”
“What has he done in twenty years in office?” Reddy retorted. “Nothing.”
“I feel like they just took it outside,” Mace noted as her rivals continued to assail one another.
The primary election is still fourteen (14) days away, but early voting began with a bang in the Palmetto State this week. More than 55,000 South Carolinians cast ballots on Tuesday, according to the S.C. Election Commission (SCVotes), shattering the state’s daily record for early voting.
Remember, if no candidate receives a majority of the vote on the first ballot – which is extremely likely in such a crowded race – the top two vote-getters would advance to a head-to-head runoff election two weeks later (on June 23, 2026).
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
J. Mark Powell is an award-winning former TV journalist, government communications veteran, and a political consultant. He is also an author and an avid Civil War enthusiast. Got a tip or a story idea for Mark? Email him at mark@fitsnews.com.
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12 comments
“Justice,” according to Alan Wilson, for Paul and Maggie Murdaugh is spending “whatever it takes” for a SECOND WRONGFUL conviction of the man who loved them most, while the real shooter(s) roam free and perhaps are plotting to kill Alex Murdaugh himself in prison to end the inquiry.
Not one word from Alan Wilson about re-investigating the matter with an open mind.
We already know, from Becky Hill’s now-withdrawn book, that some spent thousands of dollars to keep a conviction-prone juror on the jury instead of his having to return to work and earn money to pay his baby-mama overdue child support.
Isn’t funneling money to sitting juror a very serious crime?
Why isn’t Alan Wilson investigating that?
Perhaps the source of that money to that juror is also a campaign contributor to Alan Wilson.
Isn’t that the REAL reason Alan Wilson never investigated Hatchet-for-Hire Heather’s (Sarah Heather Savitz Weiss) crimes of fabrication and subornation of perjury in a failed scheme to frame Dr. Marie Faltas for supposed “harassment in the first degree”?
Didn’t Alan Wilson rescue Hatchet-for-Hire Heather from the tumult of her then-colleagues at the Fifth Circuit’s solicitor’s office by hiring her (and later hiring John Meadors, too) after John Meadors lost his campaign for solicitor but Stephen Savitz, Heather’s father had made sizeable contributions to both the John Meadors and Alan Wilson 2010 campaigns?
Doesn’t Alan Wilson continue to promote Hatchet-for-Hire Heather within his office even though her reputation among lawyers is so bad that she withdrew her second candidacy for a judgeship after the secret bar surveys came back heavily negatively against her?
Heck! The woman even had her own son cheat on his Bar Mitzvah exam instead of doing the necessary work to learn Hebrew and become a true-before-God eligible for a Minyan!
And let’s talk about two other people, a wife and a son, each shot in the head by the gun of one man, in his sole presence, in his home, and to his ultimate financial gain.
Two difference, though: (1) that man’s second wife was shot in May 1993 and his first-bort son was shot in April 2016; (2) that man, Larry Wayne Mason, passed his shooting of Ella Faye Kaizer Mason and of Richard Wayne Mason off as suicides, even though the ballistics were against that and even though Richard Wayne Mason was hastily cremated WITHOUT an autopsy on this highly suspicious death.
And one more suspicious detail: Larry Wayne Mason’s second son, Ella’s only son, got reported dead in the middle of civil lawsuits and criminal drug and other charges against him, all without a death certificate for Christopher James Mason appearing anywhere.
Was it a fake death? Who knows other than Larry Wayne Mason, who remains able to blackmail officers and officials alike?
Where is Alan Wilson’s pursuit of Justice for Ella and Richard? Heck! Where is the concern for Christopher James’ children who are either lied to about their father’s fake death or are know the truth but are forced to join, and grow up in, lies?
Where is the justice for Dr. Marie Faltas’ family who got bankrupted financially supporting her through years of her 24/7 necessary and able pro se work to exonerate herself from the Larry-Wayne-Mason-ordered and Hatchet-for-Hire-Heather- executed, but thank God failed, scheme to railroad Dr. Marie Faltas into a false 36-year (yes, thirty-six years) incarceration for that Larry Wayne Mason could overtake Dr. Faltas’ tiny lot of land which Larry coveted just as Mark coveted Moselle?
I want Alan Wilson to answer to his own conscience before trying to answer to the voters.
Some day or another, we all have to answer to God; and if you don’t believe in God, at least believe in History coming back to interrogate you when you are no longer in power.
SubZeroIQ… completely nuts. That wall of text just proves you’re insane.
Why did you read it then?
And if you did not, how do you know others did not read it and enjoy it?
Ah! I forgot (sarcastic) you know everything because you know that Alex killed his wife and younger son because he was with them “moments” before the batteries on the their cell phones died,
Is this snippet of text more to your liking, though?
Get your own blog. Quit turning the comment section of every article on FITSNews into your own personal ranting space.
What? And leave perfectly usable space empty and unused?
That’s not the thinking of a biologically-trained mind who, thank God, did for herself WITHOUT A LAWYER what Alex Murdaugh’s entire defense team could not do for him.
SubZero, Do you know Alex Personally? Did you know his Father?? How about his Grandfather?? Do you know the past Deeds of Daddy and Granddad?? What do you have to say about him Stealing that money from his Law Firm? I know Alex, knew his Father and Grand Father!
What I personally, and few others including Alex Murdaugh do, know is what it is like to be falsely accused, to see the cold-bloodedness of one’s false accusers, to see that all around know the accusations are false but no one speaks up because there is profit in their silence and peril in courage.
I think my personal experience with false criminal accusations is more relevant and instructive than anyone’s knowledge of Alex Murdaugh’s immediate and remote ancestry.
I am also an MD, MPH and know the human body and the biology of evolution.
I sadly concluded that, just as we lost our tails when we evolved the erect posture, so-called law-enforcement officers and prosecutors lost the desire and skills to go after the truth once they evolved a system of winning cases through facile lies.
Zero, have you considered therapy?
Terminator 44 Top fan, baby, if and when you can tell a lymphocyte from a reticulocyte, or a hippocampus from a hypothalamus, I shall take advice about therapy from you.
I am not an attorney, judge or expert but I have stayed in a Holiday Inn express
Good to know.
Alan Wilson just did a one-on-one interview with Anne Emmerson.
“Everything is on the table” says he tens of times; but NOT ONCE does he say the possibility of Alex’s actual innocence is on the table.
Also, seeing the photo of Maggie’s phone on site where it was found, it is IMPOSSIBLE for that phone to have been thrown from a moving car. The thin twigs above it are intact and separated as if by hand, NOT broken as they would have been if the phone had been thrown from above them.
And why would Alex, if he were the shooter, go to such length to separate that phone from the murder site only to help law enforcement locate it, retrieve it, and unlock it, the next morning?