CHARLESTON, SC (LOOTPRESS) — U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace officially entered the 2026 South Carolina governor’s race on Monday, adding her name to an already crowded Republican primary field vying to succeed outgoing Gov. Henry McMaster.
Mace, a Republican representing South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, made the announcement in a video posted to social media, which ended with the message “Nancy Mace For Governor.” She followed the post with a message asking, “Do you like our X header?” referencing the image used in her campaign launch.
The congresswoman kicked off her campaign with an early-morning event at her alma mater, The Citadel, in Charleston. Her candidacy comes after weeks of speculation and teasing. Last week, Mace released a video highlighting her connection to President Donald Trump and alluding to a possible gubernatorial bid with the caption, “Coming soon.”
Mace joins several other Republicans already in the race, including U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, state Attorney General Alan Wilson, and state Sen. Josh Kimbrell. Despite the crowded field, Mace has framed the race as a head-to-head contest between herself and Wilson.
“If I get in, I will fight to the finish, and I will take out South Carolina’s attorney general, because he’s turned a blind eye on women and on children and on the state for a lot of reasons,” Mace told Fox News ahead of her announcement. “He might force me to do this.”
Mace has previously accused four men of sexual misconduct in a speech on the House floor and claimed Wilson failed to prosecute the cases. Wilson has denied those claims, stating that no formal complaints were brought to his office.
According to a recent poll conducted by the South Carolina Policy Council, Mace holds a slight lead over Wilson among Republican voters in the state.
The Republican primary is expected to be highly competitive, with key endorsements, policy positions, and campaign funding likely to shape the outcome in the months ahead.
