Nancy Mace tours South Carolina as she considers a run for governor. What’s her timeline?
The race for governor is underway — at least unofficially.
U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-Daniel Island, opened the 2026 governor’s race by confirming she’s considering a run for South Carolina governor, she told the Associated Press.
Mace’s decision will be made in the coming weeks, she told the AP.
She’s now making the rounds in South Carolina, including a stop with the Richland County GOP monthly meeting Monday evening.
It could help her increase her name recognition outside of her Lowcountry congressional district.
Camps for the other two potential top names in the governor’s race, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Attorney General Alan Wilson declined comment on the potential race.
The race for governor is underway well before the GOP Primary in June 2026. Gov. Henry McMaster can’t run for reelection, creating the wide open race. Winning the GOP nomination could set up the Republican nominee to hold the office for eight years because South Carolina is a reliably red state.
Mace’s visit to the Midlands comes the same evening Wilson will be in the congresswoman’s district. Wilson is scheduled to speak to the Beaufort County GOP Monday at its quarterly meeting. Wilson’s office said the appearance had been scheduled for several months.
Mace has picked up her social media presence by now directing ire at Wilson, trying to paint as him weak on illegal immigration, even though he has previously challenged Obama-era executive orders on immigration.
The move to confirm she was considering a run was far from a surprise as she has increased her conservative rhetoric in recent months. Mace has campaigned against an openly transgender congresswoman from using the woman’s restrooms on Capitol Hill and even called for zero percent income tax in South Carolina.
She has pointed out her efforts to oust the previous Charleston County sheriff over how that office handled undocumented immigrants in the country.
“South Carolina needs bold leadership with the guts to actually back Donald Trump’s America First agenda—not just talk about it,” Mace posted on X.
This story was originally published January 27, 2025 at 9:23 AM.
