Smith, Honeycutt advance to runoff in crowded GOP primary for Mace’s House seat

Republicans Mark Smith and Jenny Honeycutt are projected to advance to a runoff for the GOP nomination in South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, according to Decision Desk HQ.

Smith and Honeycutt pulled away from a crowded field of Republicans. The Democratic primary is also headed to a June 23 runoff, where former Navy Adm. Nancy Lacore and veteran Mac Deford will show down.

Honeycutt, a lawyer and small business owner, has served on the Charleston County Council since 2018. She has campaigned on securing the border, reining in federal spending and speeding up infrastructure construction.

Smith has represented South Carolina’s 99th House district since 2020, succeeding Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.). He is the owner and president of McAlister-Smith Funeral Homes and the Avinger Funeral Home.

Both Honeycutt and Smith are now running to succeed Mace in the House, as the incumbent representative came up short on Tuesday in her bid for the GOP gubernatorial nomination in South Carolina.

President Trump has not weighed in on the race.

Early voting in the runoff between Smith and Honeycutt is from June 17 to 19, with voting centers open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT. The final day to cast a ballot is June 23, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. EDT.

The victor of the runoff is likely to win in November, as the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates Mace’s seat as solidly in the GOP’s corner.

Tags

Nancy Mace

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.