Speaker Mike Johnson endorses Nancy Mace. Congressional race heating up.

From family drama to right-wing endorsements, the South Carolina Congressional District 1 race where incumbent Congresswoman Nancy Mace is facing Republicans Catherine Templeton and Bill Young is heating up. Here’s what happened this week.

U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson endorsed Mace, who is seeking her third term in congress, on April 15, praising her “vision” in government.

“Congresswoman Mace has consistently proven herself to be an independent voice, unafraid to stand up for the values, interests, and needs of her constituents above all else,” Johnson said. “I endorse her reelection campaign and look forward to working alongside her to ensure Republican leadership remains strong in Congress.”

Mace was also endorsed by Donald Trump in March, and called her a “strong conservative voice,” in a post on Truth Social. After the endorsement, Mace called on Templeton to drop out, citing the endorsement signaled the campaign was stronger than ever.

Templeton, however, out raised Mace in their first quarter reports, but not by much. Templeton raised $461,276 from Jan. 1 through March 31, but Mace was right behind her, raising $460,109.

Templeton was in the news this week, but not for feuding with her opponent. Her son, Brooks Hampton Templeton, 18, was arrested earlier this week and charged with first degree assault and battery from a Jan. 12 fight he had at a House party, according to published media reports. His bond was set for $30,000, which was posted the same day.

This isn’t the first time Brooks Templeton has been arrested. In Sept. 2023, he was charged with presenting and pointing firearms at someone, according to jail records. The charge was dismissed on Jan. 25 due to insufficient evidence, the Post and Courier reported.