Republican U.S. Congresswoman Nancy Mace formally announced her campaign for governor of South Carolina. Mace launched her campaign on the campus of The Citadel, her alma mater, where she became the first woman to graduate from the Cadets in 1999. In her announcement, Mace stated, “God’s not done with South Carolina and neither am I,” positioning herself as a bold, unapologetic conservative and adopting the branding of “Trump in high heels” to emphasize her alignment with President Donald Trump.
Nancy Mace’s campaign platform focuses on eliminating the state income tax, implementing tough-on-crime policies, expanding school choice, banning the use of preferred pronoun requirements in classrooms, opposing transgender initiatives in schools, and overhauling the judicial system.
A key flashpoint in Nancy Mace’s campaign is her public feud with Attorney General Alan Wilson, a fellow Republican and a candidate in the same GOP primary. Four months ago, Mace delivered a nearly hour-long speech on the U.S. House floor, accusing her former fiancé, Patrick Bryant, and three other men of sexual assault, voyeurism, and misconduct. Mace claimed that Wilson’s office had shown systemic inaction despite her requests for investigations and victim advocacy.
Mace labeled Wilson the state’s “Do-Nothing Attorney General,” asserting he “ignored evidence” and delayed prosecution despite her pleas. Wilson categorically denied her claims, stating he was never informed by Mace or anyone in her office about the allegations before her speech and that no record of such a referral existed in his files. He called her assertions “categorically false” and emphasized that he only learned of the case once the speech was made public.
Meanwhile, the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division confirmed it has been investigating allegations of assault and harassment involving Mace’s ex-fiancé since December 2023, after being contacted by U.S. Capitol Police. However, local law enforcement indicated that no report was ever filed by Mace herself.
This personal and political confrontation has escalated tensions between the two candidates, raising the prospect of a bitter and highly personal GOP primary contest.
Nancy Mace’s campaign launch at The Citadel Military College of South Carolina carries significant symbolic weight. In 1999, she broke a historic barrier by becoming the first woman to graduate from its Corps of Cadets, at a time when the institution was led by her father, Emory Mace, who served as Commandant of Cadets.
Her experiences at The Citadel, which she later recounted in her memoir, In the Company of Men: A Woman at The Citadel (2001), often serve as a cornerstone of her political narrative: a story of resilience, breaking barriers, and challenging entrenched institutions.
By launching her campaign at The Citadel, Mace aimed to highlight her outsider credentials and independence—not only as a woman who succeeded in a male-dominated institution, but also as a self-styled reformer ready to challenge South Carolina’s political establishment.
Mace enters a crowded GOP primary field that also includes Alan Wilson, Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette, and Representative Ralph Norman. Early polling from March 2025 shows Mace polling between 16% and 29%, with Wilson often leading or closely trailing. This race remains unsettled, and Trump’s eventual endorsement could significantly influence its direction. With Governor Henry McMaster term-limited, this marks the first open race in 16 years, making the winner of the GOP primary heavily favored in the November 2026 general election.