The race is on as South Carolina Republicans push for their state to adopt constitutional carry before Florida does.

Breitbart News noted on January 30 that legislation was introduced in Florida in hopes of making the Sunshine State the 26th state to adopt constitutional carry.

Breitbart News was then alerted that South Carolina Republicans are working hard to beat out Florida for the 26th position.

South Carolina State Rep. Bobby Cox (R-Greenville) is sponsoring H. 3594, titled the South Carolina Constitutional Carry/Second Amendment Preservation Act of 2023.

H. 3594 would make the Palmetto State the next constitutional carry state, and the bill already has more than 60 co-sponsors.

Cox spoke to Breitbart News. “Our founding fathers never intended for law-abiding citizens to get a permission slip from the government for self-defense,” he said. “Passing this bill shows our commitment to restoring and protecting our Second Amendment freedoms and preventing crime in South Carolina.”

SC House Speaker and constitutional carry co-sponsor Murrell Smith (R-Sumter) commented, “Crime is a top worry for the constituents of our state. Passing H.3594 will allow more options for families to protect themselves while fully restoring our 2A freedoms. This is a good thing for South Carolina and should strike fear into those that wish to commit crimes with firearms.”

There are currently 25 constitutional carry states in the United States: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

The race to be the 26th constitutional carry state is now underway.