Nancy Mace eyes run for Lindsey Graham's Senate seat

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) is "strongly considering" a run for U.S. Senate following the sudden death of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), two sources familiar with her thinking told Axios.

Driving the news: Graham passed away late Saturday from "a brief and sudden illness," his office announced in a statement early Sunday morning.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster will be able to appoint an interim replacement to serve out the remainder of Graham's term through Jan. 3.

But Graham was up for reelection this cycle, meaning an Aug. 11 special election will have to be held to replace him as the GOP nominee.

The winner of the primary will face Democratic candidate Annie Andrews, a doctor, in November.

What we're hearing: One of the sources familiar with Mace's thinking characterized her mindset as "YOLO," or "you only live once."

Mace's team plans to get a poll in the field on Monday gauging her viability, the second source said.

Mace previously ran for South Carolina governor but finished fifth in the primary. State attorney general Alan Wilson won the nomination.

The intrigue: Mace has run for this seat once before.

She ran in the 2014 primary in the hopes of unseating Graham, finishing fifth behind the incumbent and three other primary challengers.

She went on to be elected to the state legislature in 2018 before ascending to Congress in 2020.

She began her tenure in the House as a Trump-critical Republican, but later became an outspoken Trump supporter and social conservative. ...