Nancy Mace Launches Campaign For South Carolina Governor
Congresswoman Nancy Mace officially launched her campaign for South Carolina governor on Monday, entering an already competitive 2026 Republican primary with a fiery message aimed at shaking up the establishment.
Speaking at a rally outside The Citadel, her alma mater, Mace delivered a punchy speech calling for bold leadership in the Palmetto State. “I’m running for governor because South Carolina doesn’t need another empty suit. It needs a governor who will fight for you and your values,” she declared. “South Carolina needs a governor who will drag the truth into sunlight and flip the tables if that’s what it takes.”
With Governor Henry McMaster term-limited after nearly a decade in office, Mace joins a crowded field that includes Rep. Ralph Norman, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, Attorney General Alan Wilson, and State Senator Josh Kimbrell. But if Monday’s launch was any indication, Mace plans to outflank them all with her signature blend of firebrand rhetoric, culture war engagement, and political defiance.
Mace, 47, enters the race with a national profile, thanks in part to her confrontational style and willingness to go toe-to-toe with both Democrats and Republicans. In a campaign video posted Monday, Mace touted her outsider credentials, even including past praise from President Donald Trump: “When she sets her sights on something, she’s tough,” Trump said in the clip.
The relationship between Trump and Mace has been turbulent. After criticizing Trump’s role in the aftermath of the January 6 Capitol riot, Mace faced a 2022 primary challenge backed by Trump himself. But she prevailed, won re-election in 2024, and now finds herself back in the GOP spotlight—with Trump reportedly warming back up to her efforts.
Mace has made social issues a central pillar of her political identity, focusing especially on protecting women’s spaces from biological males. She clashed recently with Delaware Rep. Sarah McBride, a man who identifies as a woman, after introducing a resolution banning men from using women’s bathrooms in Congress. That effort gained traction following a directive from House Speaker Mike Johnson supporting single-sex spaces.
“Women deserve women-only spaces,” Mace said during the standoff. “I will run through a brick wall to protect women and girls in South Carolina.”
Her advocacy has extended beyond policy into personal territory. Earlier this year, during a House subcommittee hearing on surveillance and abuse, Mace revealed a private, non-consensual image she said had been taken of her and shared by former associates—including her ex-fiancé. The emotional testimony underscored her campaign message of being a fighter for women’s safety and bodily autonomy. “To other potential victims, I want you to know I have your back,” she said.
While her candidacy may stir controversy, Mace is banking on that very energy to carry her through a primary packed with traditional conservatives. Unlike the polished bureaucrats and longtime state figures she’s running against, Mace is positioning herself as the political brawler who will do what others won’t.
Her critics call her erratic and divisive. Her supporters say she’s fearless and principled.
Either way, Nancy Mace has officially thrown down the gauntlet in South Carolina. And if her past campaigns are any guide, the GOP establishment should prepare for a fight.