Nancy Mace Launches Campaign For South Carolina Governor

Firebrand Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace launched her bid for South Carolina governor on Monday, joining what’s quickly becoming a crowded field in the Palmetto State.

Mace joins Rep. Ralph Norman, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, and state senator Josh Kimbrell in the 2026 Republican primary. The congresswoman addressed her supporters at an early morning rally at her alma mater, The Citadel military college, where she announced her run for governor.

“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,” Mace said. “South Carolina needs a governor who will drag the truth into sunlight and flip the tables if that’s what it takes.”

“I’ve walked into firestorms, and I’ve come out swinging,” she added.

Incumbent South Carolina Republican Gov. Henry McMaster, who has served since 2017,  will be term-limited from running again in the November 2026 election.

In a video Mace posted on X Monday morning, the Republican emphasized how she has drawn the ire of both Democrats and Republicans and showed clips of President Donald Trump praising her in the past.

“When she sets her sight on something, she’s tough,” Trump said of Mace.

I’m running to be the Governor of South Carolina!

God’s not done with South Carolina and neither am I. You and me. Our mission begins now.

South Carolina First. Nancy Mace for Governor.https://t.co/tkO1oN5G0W pic.twitter.com/odvxAKfz5b

— Nancy Mace (@NancyMace) August 4, 2025

The relationship between the 47-year-old congresswoman and Trump, however, has been rocky. In 2022, Trump endorsed Mace’s primary opponent, Katie Arrington, after Mace said that Trump’s “entire legacy was wiped out” following the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Mace came out on top in the 2022 primary and secured a second term in the House. She won again in 2024 and is currently serving her third term.

Mace has focused much of her attention on fighting to keep trans-identifying men out of women’s bathrooms. She recently got in a fight over women’s bathrooms with Delaware Democratic Rep. Sarah McBride, a man who identifies as a woman. Shortly after McBride was elected, Mace introduced a resolution banning men from women’s facilities in Congress. McBride agreed not to use women’s bathrooms on Capitol Hill after House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) issued a mandate, saying, “Women deserve women’s only spaces.”

Mace is well-known on Capitol Hill for her self-assertive nature and her knack for diving into the middle of controversy.

Earlier this year, Mace made headlines when she shared what she called a “naked silhouette” of herself during a House subcommittee hearing. Mace shared the photo while addressing the subject of “Breach of Trust: Surveillance in Private Spaces.” She alleged that the image was captured without her consent, accusing four men of sexual abuse. The men, one of whom is her ex-fiance, have denied any wrongdoing.

“I would run through a brick wall to protect women and girls in South Carolina and to other potential victims, I want you to know I have your back,” Mace said during the hearing.