By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Nancy Mace
"I'll be making a decision in the coming days," the far-right congresswoman said.
Rep. Nancy Mace, a three-term Republican from South Carolina, said over the weekend that she is “definitely leaning toward running for statewide office in South Carolina for governor,” citing immigration enforcement, transgender people, and tax policy as central motivators.
Keep up with the latest in LGBTQ+ news and politics. Sign up for The Advocate's email newsletter.
“I’ll be making a decision in the coming days,” Mace told Fox News on Friday, following remarks at a Politics and Eggs breakfast in New Hampshire, hosted by the New England Council in Manchester. “There are a lot of reasons to do that.” Mace pointed to what she called “gender-bending ideology in college and universities across South Carolina” and claimed that “our leaders have turned a blind eye” to unauthorized immigration. “My state has been run over by illegals,” she said. “I want to protect women and kids.”
Mace, 47, has built her political identity as a flamethrower, especially early in her congressional career. She condemned Trump’s role in the January 6 Capitol riot and warned the GOP was losing suburban women. But since his reelection efforts and watching the party consolidate behind Trump’s 2024 resurgence, Mace has made a visible ideological pivot.
Related: Lauren Boebert & Nancy Mace confront woman they thought was trans in ‘predictable’ Capitol bathroom incident
Two days later, on Fox Report with Jon Scott, Mace praised the Trump administration’s expanded deportation strategy and admitted she enjoys watching ICE agents arrest immigrants outside of courtrooms. “I have to tell you, one of my favorite things to watch on YouTube these days are the court hearings where illegals are in court and ICE shows up to drag them out of court and deport them,” she said. “I can think of nothing more American today than keeping our streets safer… and we all have Donald J. Trump to thank for it.”
South Carolina’s Republican-controlled legislature has recently codified some of the most restrictive laws in the country targeting LGBTQ+ people. In 2024, the state enacted a sweeping ban on gender-affirming care for minors and adults, blocking access not only to transition-related surgeries and hormone therapy for youth but also banning any public funding, such as Medicaid or state employee insurance, from covering such care for adults. As a result, many transgender South Carolinians must leave the state for treatment or go without. A federal lawsuit brought by three transgender adults is pending.
Related: Charges dropped against trans advocate falsely accused of assault by Nancy Mace for giving her a firm handshake
At her New Hampshire appearance, Mace doubled down on her hard-right messaging. “I love being here in the Granite State, because this is where real men protect women,” she said. “They want men in our locker rooms. They want men showering next to our 12-year-old daughters. And they think men can get pregnant. I’m just here to say the biological truth is not that.”
She also repeated a conspiracy theory, falsely claiming the federal government created “transgender mice,” while using a slur. “Can I say ‘tr***y’ in here?” she asked moderator Jim Brett before alleging the National Institutes of Health spent $26 million on the project, NH Journal reports. The claim stems from Trump’s misrepresentation of research involving transgenic mice, genetically modified animals used in medical research to study human health conditions.
If she enters the race, Mace would join a Republican primary field already featuring Attorney General Alan Wilson, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, and Rep. Ralph Norman. “If I get in, we’re starting out front in the lead and it’s a two-man race,” she said. “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. He might force me to do this.”
Related: Nancy Mace said she was 'pro-transgender rights' just last year: 'It's your body, your choice'
First elected in 2020 after narrowly flipping the Lowcountry’s 1st District, Mace first gained national attention decades earlier in 1999 as the first woman to graduate from The Citadel’s Corps of Cadets. Her early congressional record was defined by an effort to carve out a moderate, independent lane. She voted to certify the 2020 election results, backed protections for marriage equality, and publicly criticized GOP leaders over issues such as abortion and vaccine misinformation. That independence, however, appears to have receded as Trump regained control of the Republican Party.
Mace was once critical of Trump, after the January 6 attack, she said his “entire legacy was wiped out,” but now calls him “the best president of our lifetime.” On Sunday, she said, “I don’t speak for Donald Trump, but I’ll be working very hard if I get in to earn his support.”
Charlie Kirk DID say stoning gay people was the 'perfect law' — and these other heinous quotes