Trump endorses Drew McKissick over Lin Wood for South Carolina GOP chair

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Former President Donald Trump affirmed his endorsement of longtime ally Drew McKissick in his bid for re-election as South Carolina GOP chairman on Tuesday, shortly after attorney Lin Wood announced his intent to challenge him for the position.

"Drew McKissick has done an outstanding job as South Carolina GOP Chairman, electing more Republicans in 2020 than in over 140 years," Trump said in a statement. "Drew fought all the way to the Supreme Court to defend our voting laws—and WON.

"He will continue to grow the party and help Conservatives get elected in the Great State of South Carolina. Drew has my Complete and Total Endorsement for re-election!" he added.

Attorney L. Lin Wood speaks during a press conference on election results in Alpharetta, Georgia, U.S., December 2, 2020. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage - RC2AFK9OXUW5 (Reuters)

McKissick has served as state party chairman since 2017. Trump previously endorsed him with a handwritten note in February.

Wood drew national scrutiny earlier this year after he promoted unproven claims that Georgia’s state results in the 2020 presidential election were fraudulent. He did not work for the Trump campaign in an official capacity but waged legal battles on the former president’s behalf.

The State Bar of Georgia launched a probe in January to assess whether Wood was mentally fit to practice law. In February, state bar officials said Wood could face disciplinary action for potential violations of its code of conduct, Politico reported.

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The attorney recently moved to South Carolina and confirmed his run against McKissick earlier this week.

"My decision to run for the office was heavily influenced by my well-known desire to reform local and state political parties and return power to the people," Wood said in a statement to the Post and Courier. "Here, I want to return power and control of the South Carolina Republican Party to the members of the party."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.