Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) publicly acknowledged that she’s eyeing a 2026 gubernatorial run — potentially setting up the firebrand member of Congress for another statewide run.
Mace has long been rumored to be considering a bid, with Gov. Henry McMaster termed-out in 2026. But Mace made her plans public this week, telling the Associated Press she is “seriously considering” entering the governor’s race next year.
Mace, who is serving her third term in Congress, has made headlines pushing two of President Donald Trump’s rallying causes: fighting DEI and illegal immigration. Mace brought forward the resolution to ban transgender women from using women’s bathrooms in the U.S. Capitol, and has repeatedly mocked first-term Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.), the first transgender member of Congress, with insults about her gender identity.
Trump backed Mace in her GOP primary race for South Carolina’s 1st District last year, and she has recently cast herself as a die-hard supporter of the president. But Trump and Mace haven’t always been on the same page politically. She heavily criticized Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021 storming of the Capitol and made calls to “rebuild the Republican Party.” In 2022, Trump endorsed her primary challenger, calling her “disloyal.” Mace later said she was ready to “bury the hatchet” — throwing her support behind Trump in 2024, and riding the MAGA train since.
Trump carried South Carolina easily in all three of his presidential runs. Mace and other Republicans will be competing for Trump’s endorsement, which could be determinative in the primary.
Should she enter the race, she’ll likely face competition from several other South Carolina politicians. State Attorney General Alan Wilson and Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette are also potential candidates, among others.
“Trump is going to need people in governor seats in ’26,” Mace told the AP. “In ’26, we need people who can win, win big, and implement his agenda, and I will do that.”
Mace said she’ll be making a final decision in the coming weeks, but needs to spend more time in other parts of the state first. She ran statewide in 2014 in a primary to Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.), but finished a distant fifth.
“I’ve been in the state Legislature before, I have great relationships in Washington now, and I’ve acquired the leadership necessary to be bold, to make sure that we are moving forward with conservative policies,” Mace said.
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