Article author:
Associated Press
Meg Kinnard
Charleston, South Carolina (AP) — Two days after losing her rival-stricken primary, she once said she was "sold out" for occasional cooperation with the Democratic Party. Was considered. Katie Arrington appeared in the "Unity Rally" and urged South Carolina Republicans to support Congressman Nancy Mace in the fall general election.
Republican Arlington said, "You might fight like a banshee in your house, but when you exit the door, you have one team, one fight."
In the Republican Party, it was increasingly defined by an absolutist political approach, and the heartfelt tone was impressive. Former President Donald Trump, who supported Arlington, once refused to promise to support Republican rivals if they took the lead in the 2016 presidential primary. Since then, the nod of compromise has been rejected, only deepening the idea of winning at all party costs.
For example, Senator John Konin was ridiculed at the Texas Republican Convention last week after working with the Democrats on a modest change in gun law after the school massacre in the state last month. rice field. Missouri Republican Senator candidate Eric Greatens this week released an ad depicting him with a gun while "hunting" the so-called RINO, which only represents the Republican name. The video was so graphic that Facebook removed it and Twitter couldn't share it.
That made the South Carolina scene very noteworthy. The Republican Party acknowledged that the coastal parliamentary district is one of the few places in the Democratic Party's competitive state, and said it was important to pass through the party's internal departments.
Mount who voted "We need to put a weight behind the chosen candidate that most people wanted and be united in it." -Pleasant retiree Roger O'Sullivan said Arlington, but will support Mace in the future. "It won't happen tonight, but it must happen by November."
Charleston voters, Joan Nap, also agreed with Republicans in District 1. He was optimistic when he compared the division to a spouse's union that compromised as needed while maintaining individual perspectives, even if not.
"It's like a marriage," Nap said. "If you stay firmly in your own way, it won't last long."
Mace has made a lot of her criticisms of Trump, especially after causing a rebellion at the US Capitol on January 6th. Offended Republicans. The violence that took place in her first week of Mace's inauguration undermined Trump's "perfect legacy," she said at the time. While she has a credible and conservative vote in Congress, she may also work with the Democratic Party on issues such as advocating for the LGBTQ community, legalizing marijuana, and strengthening cybersecurity infrastructure.
Admitting that "people are still very passionate" about the direction of the GOP, Charleston County Republican Chairman Maurice Washington united the party against Democrat Annie Andrews. He said he was "optimistic" about what he could do. autumn.
"We need to get the party out of the" old guards, new guards "and lose the term" RINO "," Washington said. "It's not about unity, it's about trust, and you can't succeed unless you close that gap of trust and unity .... But this is a good start."
South Carolina Beyond, other Republicans have made some efforts to unite the party after a difficult primary association. After a solid defeat in the Georgia Governor's election last month, Trump-backed David Perdue said he trusted voters and "certainly" defeated Democrat Stacey Abrams in the general election.
However, some Republican efforts to promote reconciliation did not always work as planned. Last month, at an event aimed at rallying Republicans around a candidate for governor of Nebraska, race Trump supporter Charles Herbstar left without support for winner Jim Pilen with only a short appearance. ..
And earlier this week, in a final vote in the Alabama Senate, Congressman Mo Brooks admitted that "the voter said" when choosing Katie Britt as a Republican candidate. But he added, "They may not have spoken wisely."
And even in South Carolina, Arlington took a sharp tone just one day after the unity event. While she calls on radio shows in the Charleston area, "to unite within the party" and to ensure the re-election of maces, she also impresses their perspective on the maces she needs. I vowed to "rally" her supporters. Move away from reconciliation with the Democratic Party.
"The only way to make her accountable for her is to stay with her," Arlington said.
"I will be Nancy Mace's worst nightmare," she continued. "She needs to understand that we are never satisfied .... We want Republicans to succeed, but conservative Republicans want to succeed.
-
Megkinard can be reached withhttp://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP.