Few Republicans have drawn more national attention over the past six years than Nancy Mace. She was the first woman to graduate from The Citadel’s Corps of Cadets. She flipped a congressional seat in 2020, survived a Trump-backed primary challenge in 2022, and built one of the largest media profiles in the House.
In June 2026, voters in her home state handed her the worst defeat of her career. She finished fifth in the Republican primary for governor, and she leaves Congress when her term ends in January 2027.
Here is what happened in the race, how the Epstein files fight factored in, and what Mace says comes next.
Nancy Mace lost South Carolina’s Republican primary for governor on June 9, 2026, finishing fifth with about 12 percent of the vote. Attorney General Alan Wilson later won the nomination in a June 23 runoff. Mace did not seek reelection to the House, so she leaves Congress in January 2027. She has said she is returning to the private sector.
Who Is Nancy Mace?
Mace grew up in the Lowcountry and left high school at 17, working as a waitress at a Waffle House near Charleston. She earned her diploma through college classes at Trident Technical College.
In 1999, she became the first woman to graduate from the Corps of Cadets at The Citadel, South Carolina’s military college. She later wrote a book about the experience, In the Company of Men: A Woman at The Citadel, and earned a master’s degree from the University of Georgia.
Her first statewide campaign, a 2014 primary challenge to Senator Lindsey Graham, ended in fifth place. She later won a seat in the South Carolina House. In 2020 she flipped the Charleston-based 1st Congressional District back to Republicans and became the first Republican woman elected to Congress from South Carolina.
A Career of Reinvention
As a state legislator, Mace pushed for rape and incest exceptions to a proposed six-week abortion ban, after publicly sharing that she had been raped at 16. In Congress she moved between roles that observers have struggled to label. At different points she was a Trump ally, a Trump critic, an independent voice, and a conservative firebrand.
Trump backed a primary challenger against her in 2022. She won anyway. In 2024 she was reelected with 58.2 percent of the vote.
Nancy Mace's Career at a Glance
Year | Milestone | Outcome |
1999 | First female graduate of The Citadel’s Corps of Cadets | Built her national profile |
2014 | U.S. Senate primary vs. Lindsey Graham | Finished fifth |
2018 | Elected to the South Carolina House | Entered elected office |
2020 | Won South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District | First GOP woman elected to Congress from SC |
2022 | Survived a Trump-backed primary challenger | Won renomination and reelection |
2024 | Reelected to a third term | 58.2 percent of the vote |
2025 | Signed the Epstein files discharge petition | Measure later became law |
June 2026 | Republican primary for governor | Finished fifth, about 12 percent |
January 2027 | Term ends | Leaving elected office |
The 2026 South Carolina Governor Race
Governor Henry McMaster was term-limited, which opened the governorship for the first time in 16 years. Six Republicans entered the primary, including Mace, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, Attorney General Alan Wilson, and fellow Congressman Ralph Norman.
Mace kept a pledge to serve no more than three terms in the House and staked her political future on the governor’s race. She campaigned as one of the most Trump-aligned candidates in the field. She did not get his endorsement. Trump endorsed Evette before the primary.
The June 9 Primary Results
According to unofficial returns reported by the Associated Press and Western Journal, the top finishers were:
- Pamela Evette:9 percent
- Alan Wilson:1 percent
- Ralph Norman: about 16 percent
- Rom Reddy: about 14 percent
- Nancy Mace: about 12 percent
The Washington Post reported that Mace lost even her home county and her own congressional district. Because no candidate cleared 50 percent, Evette and Wilson advanced to a runoff.
The June 23 Runoff
Mace conceded on election night and endorsed Wilson. That was notable, because she had sharply criticized his record as attorney general the year before.
Shortly before the runoff, Trump said he was endorsing both Evette and Wilson. Wilson won easily, taking about 66 percent of the vote. He faces Democratic state Rep. Jermaine Johnson in the November 3, 2026 general election.
Nancy Mace and the Epstein Files
The Epstein files are the issue Mace herself points to when explaining her loss.
In 2025, she was one of a small number of House Republicans to sign a discharge petition to force the Justice Department to release its files on Jeffrey Epstein. The effort put her at odds with Speaker Mike Johnson. The measure eventually passed and was signed into law after President Trump reversed course and supported it.
After her loss, Mace said her support for releasing the files cost her Trump’s endorsement and some voter support. She framed her advocacy for victims as a matter of principle she would not trade for votes.
That is her interpretation. Other factors clearly mattered too. These include a crowded field, Wilson’s 15 years as attorney general and his deep support from sheriffs and prosecutors, and the president’s endorsement of Evette. Voters rarely decide primaries on a single issue. Still, the Epstein fight defined Mace’s final term in a way few other issues did.
What's Next for Nancy Mace?
The day after the primary, Mace announced she was heading back to the private sector at the end of her term. In her concession speech, she called the loss the end of a chapter, not the end of the fight.
By August 2026, she had started building a media presence. She told a Charleston TV station she had turned on her new microphone. She noted that House ethics rules bar members from signing contracts for future jobs while still in office, so formal announcements will likely come after January 2027.
Mace has not ruled out a future campaign. Given her history of comebacks, few in South Carolina politics would bet against her reappearing.
Related Breaking Battlegrounds Discussion
Mace joined Chuck Warren and Sam Stone for Podcast 200: Congresswoman Nancy Mace on Women’s Rights, recorded July 27, 2024. According to the episode summary, she discussed women’s rights, the global IT outage that disrupted airlines and businesses that month, and the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle.
That episode came less than two weeks after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania. The same episode’s Kiley’s Corner segment covered what was known about the gunman. Breaking Battlegrounds has a full explainer on the Trump assassination attempt. The show also spoke with Rep. Juan Ciscomani about the congressional task force investigating it.
The episode also featured Elizabeth Nolan Brown, senior editor at Reason, on Kamala Harris’s record and media coverage of President Biden.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to Nancy Mace in the governor race?
Nancy Mace finished fifth in South Carolina’s Republican primary for governor on June 9, 2026, with about 12 percent of the vote. Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Attorney General Alan Wilson advanced to a runoff, which Wilson won on June 23. Mace conceded and endorsed Wilson.
Is Nancy Mace leaving Congress?
Yes. Mace did not run for reelection to the House because she ran for governor. Her term ends in January 2027. After losing the primary, she said she would return to the private sector. She has said she has no plans to run for Congress again, but has not ruled out future campaigns.
Why did Nancy Mace lose the governor race?
Mace has said her support for releasing the Epstein files cost her President Trump’s endorsement. Other factors included a crowded six-candidate field, Trump’s endorsement of Pamela Evette, and Alan Wilson’s strong support from law enforcement. She lost even her home county and congressional district.
What did Nancy Mace do on the Epstein files?
Mace was one of a few House Republicans to sign a 2025 discharge petition forcing a vote to release the Justice Department’s Epstein files. The petition put her at odds with Speaker Mike Johnson. The measure passed and was signed into law after President Trump changed course and supported it.
Was Nancy Mace the first woman to graduate from The Citadel?
Yes. In 1999, Mace became the first woman to graduate from The Citadel’s Corps of Cadets. She wrote about the experience in her 2001 book, In the Company of Men: A Woman at The Citadel.
Conclusion
Nancy Mace’s career has been built on breaking through barriers, surviving fights, and refusing to fit neatly into one faction of the Republican Party. That independence helped her win a swing district. It did not help her win a statewide GOP primary where the president’s endorsement and party networks carried enormous weight.
Her story is also a lesson in how much the Trump endorsement still shapes Republican primaries in 2026, and how little room there is for candidates who break with the White House on high-profile issues. Whatever Mace does next, she leaves Congress as one of its most recognizable members.
Related Reads
Sources
- The Washington Post, “Nancy Mace’s thrashing in South Carolina governor’s race caps a rough downfall,” June 10, 2026
- Associated Press via PBS NewsHour, “Nancy Mace’s political career is up in the air after finishing last in South Carolina primary,” June 10, 2026
- The Post and Courier, “After Nancy Mace’s failed bid for SC governor, she faces the question: What comes next?” June 2026
- Roll Call, “Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman lose bids for governor in South Carolina,” June 9, 2026
- WFAE (NPR), “Attorney General Alan Wilson wins Republican runoff for SC governor,” June 23, 2026
- Forbes, “Nancy Mace Loses South Carolina Governor Primary After Trump Snub,” June 9, 2026
- WCSC Live 5 News, “We The Palmetto: What’s next for Rep. Nancy Mace,” August 13, 2026
- Breaking Battlegrounds, Podcast 200 episode page, recorded July 27, 2024
Editorial Note: This article is intended for informational and analytical purposes. Political developments, policies, polling, and public statements can change over time. Readers should consult primary sources and official government information for the latest details.
