Nancy Mace Enters South Carolina Gubernatorial Race
U.S. Representative Nancy Mace is officially announcing her candidacy for the governorship of South Carolina, targeting the incumbent, Governor Henry McMaster, who is term-limited.
Mace (R-SC) made the announcement on Monday after weeks of signaling her intent to run for the governor’s office.
Her campaign launch is set to take place at The Citadel, a military college in South Carolina where she graduated in 1999. Interestingly, she was the first female graduate from the institution.
Following her official launch, Mace plans to kick off what she has named the “Mother of All Town Hall Tours,” beginning Wednesday in Myrtle Beach as she travels across the state.
The three-term congresswoman, who has been in office since 2021, has quickly gained recognition and established herself as one of the more vocal members of the Republican Party.
She previously served at the State Capitol from 2018 to 2020 but chose not to challenge Senator Lindsey Graham during his re-election campaign in 2014.
Mace now faces a growing list of Republican challengers, including Representative Ralph Norman, State Senator Josh Kimbrell, Attorney General Alan Wilson, and Lieutenant General Pamela Evett.
Already, she has exchanged jabs with Wilson, who accused her of disregarding evidence related to her claims of sexual abuse by her ex-fiancé and others. Wilson referred to her accusations as “decisively false,” prompting Mace to file a defamation lawsuit over the matter.
Some polls suggest Mace may be in a strong position, yet a significant portion of Republican voters in South Carolina remain undecided. For instance, a recent poll revealed that while Mace had a slight lead, more than half of GOP primary voters were still uncertain.
How former President Trump will factor into the race is another aspect to watch closely. Initially, Mace criticized Trump for his involvement in the January 6 Capitol riots but later aligned herself with him, voting in his favor on subsequent occasions.
This alignment has previously led Trump to support former South Carolina Representative Katie Arrington in the 2022 midterms. Last year, Mace sided with Trump over her former governor, Nikki Haley, in the 2024 presidential primary, while some of her colleagues, including Norman, backed Haley.
Mace has attracted attention for her stance on cultural issues. For example, after the election of Representative Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender member of the House, she pushed to limit women’s facilities to biological women.
In 2023, she surprised many by joining a faction of hardcore conservatives led by Matt Gaetz, contributing to the ousting of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Given that South Carolina is predominantly Republican, winning the GOP primary often paves the way for victory in the general election.
