"It's obviously going to make the race very fractious, very interesting with the potential to have a lot of unflattering portraits," a pollster told Newsweek.

Rep. Nancy Mace, who has at times broken with her own GOP leaders and often courted controversy, launched a long-expected bid for governor of South Carolina on Monday, shaking up a crowded primary race that already includes big names in the Palmetto State.

Republican Rep. Nancy Mace kicked off her campaign for South Carolina governor Monday, reveling in her reputation as a politically mercurial outsider willing to take on the establishment and go to battle for conservative causes.