Former chief of staff to Republican Representative Nancy Mace, Dan Hanlon, has made his first formal move in his attempt to unseat his former boss from Congress. In order to compete in the GOP primary in South Carolina's first congressional district, which includes Charleston and the surrounding regions, Hanlon submitted the required papers to the Federal Election Commission on Friday.
The filing was true, according to a source with knowledge of Hanlon's developing campaign. Hanlon was contemplating the transfer, according to a POLITICO article initially. Prior to her purported termination in December 2023, Hanlon had been employed by Mace since her arrival in Congress in January 2021.
Hanlon formerly worked for former South Carolina Representative Mick Mulvaney and was a senior official in the Office of Management and Budget during the Trump administration. One thing of note, a former chief of staff of a congressman or congresswoman seldom goes on the offensive against their former employer.
The Washington Post claims that Hanlon was discreetly persuaded to seek for office by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, whom Mace voted to remove in October. During a news conference after Hanlon's removal, McCarthy made headlines by calling him out, claiming to have told the former speaker he had "kept your promise 100%." Prior to her decision to remove McCarthy, Mace had openly accused him of betraying her trust.
It is the most recent setback for Mace, a divisive figure whose history of contradicting himself in public and his seeming insatiable want for attention have alienated fellow Republicans.
Though Mace previously opposed former President Donald Trump, she supported him earlier this week against Nikki Haley, who supported her against a Trump-backed primary opponent in 2022. In an attempt to capitalize on Mace's mounting scandal, her Democratic opponent Michael B. Moore claims that Mace is "probably more driven to go on national TV and generate headlines for herself than to really work for the people."
The filing was true, according to a source with knowledge of Hanlon's developing campaign. Hanlon was contemplating the transfer, according to a POLITICO article initially. Prior to her purported termination in December 2023, Hanlon had been employed by Mace since her arrival in Congress in January 2021.
Hanlon formerly worked for former South Carolina Representative Mick Mulvaney and was a senior official in the Office of Management and Budget during the Trump administration. One thing of note, a former chief of staff of a congressman or congresswoman seldom goes on the offensive against their former employer.
The Washington Post claims that Hanlon was discreetly persuaded to seek for office by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, whom Mace voted to remove in October. During a news conference after Hanlon's removal, McCarthy made headlines by calling him out, claiming to have told the former speaker he had "kept your promise 100%." Prior to her decision to remove McCarthy, Mace had openly accused him of betraying her trust.
It is the most recent setback for Mace, a divisive figure whose history of contradicting himself in public and his seeming insatiable want for attention have alienated fellow Republicans.
Though Mace previously opposed former President Donald Trump, she supported him earlier this week against Nikki Haley, who supported her against a Trump-backed primary opponent in 2022. In an attempt to capitalize on Mace's mounting scandal, her Democratic opponent Michael B. Moore claims that Mace is "probably more driven to go on national TV and generate headlines for herself than to really work for the people."
