Firebrand Republican Rep. Nancy Mace announced Monday that she will not run for the South Carolina Senate seat held by the late Lindsey Graham.

“I’m not running for the U.S. Senate, not because I’m backing down from a fight, but because the one I’m already in matters right now,” she said in a video announcement.

Her decision comes after a fifth-place primary finish in her run for governor earlier this year and as the race to succeed Graham is already taking shape.

Mace began exploring the viability of a potential bid just hours after Graham’s death became public, two people familiar with her thinking told POLITICO at the time, but decided against a second statewide bid in as many months.

Her decision effectively guarantees she will not be serving in elected office once her term ends early next year.

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