By U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace launched her campaign for South Carolina governor Monday, setting the stage for a bruising Republican primary to replace outgoing Gov. Henry McMaster. “God’s not done with South Carolina, and neither am I,” she declared on social media, signaling a bid that leans heavily on personal conviction.
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
“I’m running for Governor of South Carolina to deliver for President Trump at the state level and export all radical policies out of the state of South Carolina,” the 47-year-old three-term rep told The Post.
“We’ve got statewide officials who were silent while a sanctuary sheriff let criminal illegal aliens who were rapists, murderers and pedophiles roam free. We’ve got corruption in our courts, predators getting sweetheart deals, and a political class more focused on protecting each other than protecting you.”
Mace fashioned herself as an aspiring “America First” governor, explained The New York Post, touting some of her achievements in Congress like blocking transgender women from using Capitol bathroom facilities and “protecting women from violent illegal aliens.”
A third-term congresswoman known for her high-profile stances on women’s issues, Mace enters the race with national name recognition and a complicated history with the party’s dominant figure: Donald Trump. In a slickly produced launch video, Trump praises her as “a fighter,” a striking reversal from 2022 when he branded her “absolutely terrible” and backed her primary challenger. Despite that rebuke, Mace held her seat—and now appears to be patching ties with the former president as his endorsement looms large in South Carolina’s political calculus.
She also made news when she revealed that a famous CNN contributor Michael Eric Dyson sent flirtatious private messages to her after publically labeling her a bigot.hh, don’t tell anybody, we look good together,” Dyson allegedly wrote, including a kiss emoji. Mace submitted the texts for the congressional record, calling the professor’s public outrage over people mispronouncing Kamala Harris’ first name as “fake.”
The Washington Post noted that “in February, Mace delivered a speech on the House floor alleging that her ex-fiancé had physically abused her, filmed her without her consent and conspired with others to sexually abuse women. She also accused Wilson of not moving quickly enough in processing evidence she turned over to the state. Wilson’s office called Mace’s comments “categorically false” and said it “had no role and no knowledge of these allegations until her public statements.” Mace’s ex-fiancé denied the allegations against him.
It’s unclear if Trump will endorse in the primary. The president’s support is the most coveted prize in GOP primaries and he is especially influential in South Carolina, where he won by a wide margin in 2024.”
Mace’s candidacy adds to an already packed Republican field, which includes Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, Attorney General Alan Wilson, and fellow congressman Ralph Norman, wrote Politico. All are vying for the support of the state’s conservative electorate and angling for Trump’s backing.
Known for blending libertarian instincts with headline-grabbing culture war positions, Mace has both courted and defied the MAGA wing of the GOP. She once urged accountability for Trump after Jan. 6 but has since embraced his political imprimatur, a balancing act that could define her campaign.
The primary, still months away, promises to be one of the nation’s most closely watched contests in 2026. With McMaster term-limited and Trump’s endorsement still in play, the road to the governor’s mansion runs straight through a fractured Republican base.
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