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Much ink has been spilled in the days since South Carolina’s June 9th primary dunking on Nancy Mace. Her fifth-place finish brought out a host of background comments, and even saw the humiliated and deposed former speaker Kevin McCarthy take a moment to spike the ball. Since her inaugural run for office in 2014, Nancy has thrown her share of sharp elbows – and Tuesday night she took a hard one herself.
But, as the saying goes, I believe South Carolina will miss her when she’s gone from office.
It is a bittersweet feeling to be writing yet another piece of this nature. In 2018, I felt compelled to write a similar send off for Mark Sanford after his defeat to Katie Arrington in the Republican primary for South Carolina’s first congressional district. Working for Nancy in the 2022 primary for this seat was a double bonus for me – helping a friend while also ensuring the only way Arrington was going to Capitol Hill was as a tourist or a witness.
Nancy has had her share of good election nights, but June 9, 2026 was not one of them. I won’t dwell on her mistakes; this site has been a fair chronicler of what went right and what went wrong in this race for governor. But I do hope readers take away a fuller perspective of the woman who has shaken up the South Carolina House and will do the same in Washington for six more months.
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In today’s Congress we normally have a marked difference between work horses and show horses, with few being able to be both. In her time in the South Carolina House and in Congress Nancy Mace has been the rare member to be both. Most voters would have trouble spotting a House member in a line up, but Nancy has the distinction of being instantly recognizable even outside the world of politics.
She did not, however, sacrifice substance in attaining the notoriety she holds. Whether it was on stage with Bill Maher or on the Breakfast Club with Charlamagne tha God this daughter of Goose Creek demonstrated she was not your standard issue member of the Republican Caucus. Her thoughts on abortion, gay marriage, and law and order defied the boxes we too often put our elected officials in. And in this most recent campaign, she and Ralph Norman demonstrated they were the most policy-driven candidates in the race. That neither one of them is in the runoff is to South Carolina’s detriment.
Many have criticized Nancy for her attention-grabbing ways. I take another tack, and not just because she is a friend. In an era where power is usually concentrated at the White House and the Speaker’s Office – it takes a lot to break through the noise to have influence. Nancy’s ability to stand out and distinguish herself gave her heft that she otherwise would not have had. Matt Gaetz managed to do this, Marjorie Taylor Greene certainly did, and this allowed them to influence policy and conversations in ways where in the past it took seniority and tenure to be able to. One does not have to like every tweet or video to admit that Nancy’s efforts put her at the center of the conversation both in Congress and back home in South Carolina.
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It bears being said that the last few years of Nancy’s life has been a rollercoaster. Starting with her vote to boot McCarthy from the speakership she seemed to enter a category five hurricane season of her life. The implosion of her engagement to Patrick Bryant and the subsequent stories of abuse came in with her Hill DC staff leaving, McCarthy targeting her in a primary for revenge, and capped off with the passing of her father in the waning days of the governor’s race.
Dealing with just one of those circumstances could break a person. Nancy didn’t break, and I don’t believe that this latest result will cause her to either.
The ultimate compliment, and badge of courage for Nancy, was her stance on the release of the Epstein Files and holding predators to account. I have managed (consciously) to not mention Donald Trump, because Lord knows there is more to life than him. However, we do know that he has targeted each of the Republican 4 who were on the
discharge petition to release the Epstein Files. Marjorie retired, Thomas Massie was defeated, Lauren Boebert may get lucky only because of the Colorado filing deadline, and Trump opted to endorse Evette over Nancy.
If pleasing the president or achieving higher office was her goal – compromising on the Epstein Files release would’ve been price she had to pay. She didn’t pay it, and in so doing remained true to the 16-year-old version of herself in Goose Creek. If that is the epitaph of her political career then that is one she and all can be proud of.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Carlton Huffman is a native of the other Carolina. He has worked on campaigns throughout the Southeast and Wisconsin – including multiple campaigns for Nancy Mace.
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