Mace is Graham's latest Republican challenger. | Courtesy, AP Photo Mace makes S.C. Senate run official

Nancy Mace announced Saturday she would challenge Sen. Lindsey Graham in next year’s Republican Party primary in South Carolina, as was widely expected.

The small business owner and first woman to graduate from the state’s feted military academy said earlier this week she would announce her intentions at the Berkeley County GOP breakfast in her home town of Goose Creek.


She tweeted: “Just officially announced my run for the U.S. Senate!” alongside her campaign hashtag #standwithmace.

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She told the audience that Washington is too big, out of touch and isn’t working for the benefit of the country, the Associated Press reported.

In a statement posted on her campaign website, Mace cites the influence of President Ronald Reagan, adding: “Running for political office was not my focus growing up. However, in the last decade or so, our government has taken a significant turn for the worse. Americans are waking up to the fact that our freedoms are being threatened.

“We cannot change Washington unless we change who we send to Washington.”

Mace is anti-abortion, pro-Second Amendment and against “federal government intruding” into “families, churches and businesses.”

She runs a small public relations firm — working recently with Sen. Tim Scott, Rep. Mick Mulvaney and state Senator Tom Davis — and became the first woman to graduate from The Citadel in 1999. She is the daughter of Brigadier General Emory Mace.

Mace joins businessman Richard Cash in challenging two-term Sen. Graham, who has amassed a $6.3 million warchest, according to reports. State Sen. Lee Bright also says he will run in the primary.

Graham has been criticized by the party’s right wing for being too willing to compromise on key issues including taxes, immigration and judicial nominations. He’s considered a hard-liner on issues like Benghazi, terror and gun control.

He’s scheduled to travel to Egypt as early as next week with colleague and long-time ally John McCain, as the request of President Barack Obama.

A regular on the Sunday talk shows, Graham is scheduled to appear this week on CNN’s State of the Union.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this post said Graham was traveling to Syria.

CORRECTION: Corrected by: Libby Isenstein @ 08/03/2013 12:16 PM CORRECTION: A previous version of this post said Graham was traveling to Syria.