CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — Within hours of polls closing Tuesday night, the result for Nancy Mace, a Republican firebrand who looked to parlay her congressional notoriety to the governor’s mansion, was clear.
In the crowded field, featuring Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette touting an endorsement from President Donald Trump and the state’s long-time Attorney General Alan Wilson, who each advanced to the runoff election, Mace finished fifth.
It marked a stunning end – for now – to a political career that saw her wrestle back South Carolina’s coastal congressional district from a Democrat. Fall out of favor with President Trump. Win the district in two subsequent elections by double digits. Climb back into the good graces of the Republican Party’s mercurial leader. And then ultimately make the decision that she thinks led her to her primary loss.
“I voted to release the Epstein files and lost some support for that,” Mace said in her concession speech on Daniel Island. “As a survivor, I chose to stand on principle and stand against the Epstein cover-up. I chose to expose the names hidden in the sexual harassment slush fund. I chose to expose DEI judges. I chose to expose the abusers of children. And apparently, I chose wrong if the goal was winning an election.”
Mace used her speech to endorse Wilson, whom she thinks will beat Evette in the Republican runoff election slated for June 23. She provided no hint of what she will do next, other than supporting Wilson’s campaign in her capacity as a private citizen. A decision she remains at peace with, she said.
A comeback bid for her seat in Congress is a non-starter, she told POLITICO before Tuesday’s election. Meaning, for the first time in several years, Mace will have nothing but time to figure out her next move.
“Headed back to the private sector at the end of this term, as the Founders intended,” Mace wrote on social media. “When I ran in 2020, I said I’d only serve 3 terms and my time is up. It’s truly been an immense honor, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.”
She remains one of Congress’ most fascinating careers in recent history. She voted to codify same-sex marriage rights and remained open to transgender rights for a time. Yet, by the end of 2024, she had taken on a staunch anti-trans stance in policy and on social media, using platforms like X to chastize Rep. Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender member of Congress.
In the fallout of Jan. 6, 2021, Mace attempted to distance herself from Trump. She then survived an attempt to oust her from a Trump-backed candidate in 2022 before fully rebranding herself as Trump in high heels. The shock and awe of Mace’s political career often unfolded before the cameras, with the most memorable being her use of the U.S. House floor to accuse her ex-fiancé and three others of sexual crimes.
Yet, that only scratches the surface. Mace was also captured on camera cursing out a constituent who asked her to hold a town hall, and in October 2025, she screamed at Charleston airport officials, claiming they were “F—ing incompetent.” Her actions at the airport led Sen. Tim Scott and Sen. Lindsey Graham, along with dozens of other local leaders, to sign a letter condemning her behavior. Mace, meanwhile, remained unapologetic.
Her actions often brought forth attacks from all sides of the political spectrum. A recent study by the Center for Countering Digital Hate found that she was the 10th-most threatened lawmaker on social media. A reality that her office was all too aware of.
“We receive more than 1,300 death threats every year,” Mace said. “Those threats have forced us to change how we operate and how we live our daily lives. Political violence is becoming far too common in America, and it is unacceptable.”
Scandals and social media threats aside, arguably the defining moment of her career came when, amid pressure from the president and her own party, she signed on to Democrat Rep. Ro Khanna and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie’s discharge petition to release federal investigation files tied to the Epstein investigation. At the time, Khanna described her actions as “brave.”
It was a decision that may have cost her the endorsement needed to advance to her party’s gubernatorial runoff election and continue a career that burned bright, soared and often crashed only to be reborn.
“When a candidate is OK with corruption and cover-ups, something is broken,” Mace said. “That’s not a political opinion. That’s a moral emergency. I will always be grateful for the people of South Carolina who trusted me, fought with me, and refused to look the other way. This isn’t the end of the fight. It’s just the end of this chapter. I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to serve my fellow countrymen and serve the greatest state in the nation, South Carolina.”