Rep. Nancy Mace said if she were to go ahead and run as a Republican for South Carolina governor in 2026, she would seek to “lock down support” from President Trump.
“I have President Trump's support in the House of Representatives, and I'm working hard to contain that support in this race. President Trump knows that I'm a strong conservative voice and that I'm a fighter. Mace said in a statement to Fox News on Thursday. digital.
A day earlier, Mace reiterated what he first told The Associated Press on social media, saying he was seriously considering running for governor in the race to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Henry McMaster.
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Rep. Nancy Mace (R-South Carolina) attends the House Republican Caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol on November 19, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
“President Trump needs bold leadership to carry out his policies in every state in America. It takes grit. It takes strength. It takes effort. I can confirm that. Yes, I can confirm that I am considering running for office in 2026. South Carolina First,” Mace said in a social media post.
Mace, who was first elected to the House of Representatives in the 2020 election, is accused of inciting the attack on the U.S. Capitol by right-wing extremists and other Trump supporters on January 6, 2021, in an attempt to disrupt Congress' certification. did not vote to impeach. Former President Biden won the 2020 election.
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But she later claimed President Trump was to blame for the attack on the nation's capital and survived a 2022 Republican primary challenge from a Trump-backed rival.
Republican Rep. Nancy Mace (South Carolina) speaks to supporters at a campaign event in Summerville, South Carolina, June 12, 2022. (Fox News)
Mace endorsed the former president's bid for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination and campaigned for him in South Carolina's crucial early voting presidential primary.
President Trump returned the favor by endorsing Mace when he ran for re-election last year.
Mace told Fox News Digital: “I have proven my leadership from statehouses to Washington. My bold conservative policies are rooted in the Constitution, freedom, small government and common sense.” spoke.
“I believe in a government small enough to be constitutional,” she added.
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Mace emphasized, “I'm going from South Carolina to Washington, D.C., and back to South Carolina. That's the kind of leadership the Palmetto State is looking for.”
Mace recently made headlines for introducing a resolution that would ban transgender women from using the women's restrooms in the U.S. Capitol and the adjacent House office building. This is an issue of high interest to many right-wing voters.
Congresswoman Nancy Mace speaks during the third day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 17, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Reuters/Mike Seeger)
Trump is extremely popular in Republican-dominated South Carolina, and if he wins the Republican gubernatorial primary, he will have a significant influence on the state's conservative voters.
Attorney General Alan Wilson, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, and state Sens. Josh Kimbrel and Sean Bennett are also among those considering a run for governor.
Dave Wilson, a veteran Republican consultant based in South Carolina, told Fox News that the field will be crowded. “There's going to be a lot of people who are going to throw their hat in the ring.”
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“It's going to be a battle for conservatives about how conservative they can be in South Carolina,” Wilson stressed.
McMaster, another Trump ally, is on track to become South Carolina's longest-serving governor. The then lieutenant governor was replaced in 2017 during the Trump administration's first term when Governor Nikki Haley resigned and became ambassador to the United Nations. Mr. McMaster was elected in 2018 to a four-year term and is up for re-election in 2022.
