The first female to graduate from The Citadel, Military College of South Carolina, will formally announce her candidacy in her state’s 2014 primary this Saturday at a Berkeley County GOP breakfast at an American Legion Hall in the town of Goose Creek. What makes this an exciting day in South Carolina politics is multi-faceted. Obviously many Republicans are thrilled that she will be primarying current Senator Lindsay Graham who most recently has been known in the media by his nickname Lindsay Graham-nesty (in relation to his squishy stance on the immigration bill), the more Libertarian wing of the GOP is also thrilled because she shares many of their positions on key issues like economic freedom and the Second Ammendment.

For me, this announcement brought up two points. As the proud daughter of a Citadel graduate, I was horrified when Shannon Faulkner won her court case to gain admission to my father’s alma mater and then failed (miserably) to represent women in a positive light. Then came Nancy Mace. This amazing woman came from impressive Citadel and Army stock as the daughter of Brigadier General Emory Mace and was the one of two female cadets to survive their freshman year at the school in 1997. Her ability to stick it out and excel at the school is what endeared Ms. Mace to me.

My father and I went many rounds, over many years, about the exclusion of women from his alma mater. As a budding feminist (ease up, I was 15!) I argued that sort of “old boys club” mentality was “just so over” and that “of course” women should be admitted because we could do anything they could do (better). Then the whole Shannon Faulker debacle happened, and I was crestfallen that my father was proven correct-until Ms. Nancy Mace came along.

If Ms. Mace brings the same passion, and political skill, to the primary election next summer against Graham as she showed during her time at The Citadel-and I suspect after reading her scathing OpEd against Graham in the Goose Creek Patch that she will-the Senate may be in for a new breed of politician. This new breed of Republican is one that seeks to unite the liberty minded, the Tea Party conservatives and the establishment GOP-and this new breed is frankly the only thing (in my humble opinion) that is going to save the party.

So look-out Graham-nesty, cover your six and prepare for war because Citadel grads all share one distinctive characteristic-they don’t accept failure!