Nancy Mace's Chances of Winning South Carolina Governor's Race—Polls

Newsweek

4 days ago

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South Carolina Representative Nancy Mace is rumored to be soon announcing her bid to become the Palmetto State's governor, though early polls show a large degree of uncertainty among the electorate.
Newsweek reached out to Mace via email for comment.
Why It Matters
Mace is scheduled to deliver a "special announcement" on the morning of August 4 at The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. Her gubernatorial entry would mark a crowded GOP primary of candidates attempting to succeed current term-limited Republican Governor Henry McMaster.
Speculation of an apparent Mace gubernatorial campaign heightened when her office touted a "major address on the future of South Carolina" scheduled to take place August 4. A social media slipup also took place, with The Associated Press' Meg Kinnard noting that publicity for Mace's "Statewide Mother of ALL Town Halls Tour" came under the label of "Nancy Mace for Governor."
An event website advertising the town halls has since removed any mention of the term "governor."
Mace's own remarks have fueled rumors, including one of her social media posts acknowledging that President Donald Trump "needs America First governors" and that the state of South Carolina "needs a fighter." She's also said her state has gone "woke" the past couple years.
What To Know
Mace, 47, has represented South Carolina's 1st congressional district since 2021 and previously served in the South Carolina General Assembly from 2018 to 2020.
Polling published in late July by the South Carolina Policy Council shows Mace receiving 16 percent support from Republican-identifying voters, one point ahead of South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson. Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette earned 8 percent support, Representative Ralph Norman received 6 percent, and State Senator Josh Kimbrell received 3 percent. About 52 percent were undecided.
Norman announced his run for governor on Sunday.
Newsweek reached out to the Wilson and Norman campaigns via email for comment.
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) walks off the House floor before a vote on the Republican budget plan at the U.S. Capitol on April 10, 2025 in Washington, D.C.
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) walks off the House floor before a vote on the Republican budget plan at the U.S. Capitol on April 10, 2025 in Washington, D.C.South Carolinians across party lines support eliminating income tax, adopting spending limits, and expressed concerns about increased energy costs to construct data centers, according to the poll.
A Winthrop University poll in February found that 52 percent of South Carolina adults said they were either very or somewhat familiar with Mace, compared to 39 percent for Wilson. Evette had a 32 percent recognition level.
Scott Huffmon, director of the Winthrop Poll, told Newsweek via phone on Friday that Mace's entry into the gubernatorial race would not be a shock and is on par with what most pundits expect of her.
"It's obviously going to make the race very fractious, very interesting with the potential to have a lot of unflattering portraits of many of the candidates—all of the cliches about tough, hard politics in South Carolina, they're all true.
"[Mace] says things that are seen by many as outrageous and seen by many within her party as extremely strong stances, often coinciding with President Trump, even though she had criticized President Trump years ago. She definitely has gotten back into his good graces, but that's what's going to make it a very contentious and interesting primary."
He noted how Mace has already fired "the opening salvos" at Wilson, saying if she enters it's "a two-man race" between the pair.
But Huffmon said Norman may ultimately be viewed as the "calm and steady candidate." Mace has broad name recognition, he added, but that does not automatically translate into votes or support. Wilson does, too, while Norman would likely have to spend more money to achieve that broader level of recognition.
"That's no big deal," Huffmon said. "He's extremely wealthy on his own. He has connections to the fundraising apparatus, both in the 5th District and around the state.
"He has the possibility of maybe calling in a favor from Nikki Haley and getting an endorsement because he has always been a Haley supporter."
McMaster's ultimate endorsement, if he provides one, remains unknown for now.
He has a relationship with Wilson, Huffmon noted, and shares the same fiscal sensibilities as Norman.
"Whether or not he would endorse Nancy Mace to the degree that she makes this a little more outrageous than a normal primary would be, I would think every time she might do that will make him disinclined to endorse," he said. "But I don't see him indicating anytime soon who he might endorse."
What People Are Saying
Representative Nancy Mace on Fox News last weekend: "I will be making a decision over the next couple of days about my future. I believe I may be forced to run for governor because I can't watch my beautiful red state of South Carolina go woke. It's gone woke over the last couple of years."
Representative Ralph Norman on Sunday told supporters in Rock Hill, South Carolina: "I've seen way too many corrupt politicians in Columbia, S.C, looking out for themselves and not for you. And in Washington, I've seen career politicians who care more about their next election than they do securing our future generations."
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson to the Bluffton Today: "My three brothers and I, all four of us are Eagle Scouts. All four of us are officers in the United States military. All four of us have served oversees. It was because of the upbringing of my dad and his instilling in me a desire to serve the public."
What Happens Next
The South Carolina gubernatorial election is scheduled to take place on November 3, 2026.