GOP Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina said she promised when she was elected she would only serve three terms, and “my time is up.” (Graeme Sloan / Getty Images)
By Johnathan Jones June 10, 2026 at 2:00pm
GOP Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina announced Wednesday that she plans to retire from elected office and return to the private sector at the end of her current congressional term.
The announcement came one day after Mace failed to advance in South Carolina’s Republican gubernatorial primary.
Mace finished fifth in Tuesday’s primary with 12.1 percent of the vote.
Trump-endorsed South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette earned a plurality of the vote with 28.9 percent, while state Attorney General Alan Wilson received 26.1 percent.
Evette and Wilson will face off in a June 23 runoff.
Mace has endorsed Wilson in that race.
Was Nancy Mace a positive contributor in Congress?
After she conceded defeat Tuesday night, Mace posted a lengthy statement on X.
“Serving South Carolina has been the greatest honor of my life,” Mace wrote. “Every vote I cast, every hearing I called, every fight I picked — it was always for you.”
Serving South Carolina has been the greatest honor of my life. Every vote I cast, every hearing I called, every fight I picked — it was always for you.
I’ve seen what happens when good people stay quiet. And I’ve seen what happens when they don’t. I would choose the latter every… pic.twitter.com/Dwx7oCUT9q
— Nancy Mace (@NancyMace) June 10, 2026
She continued:
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 country man and serve the greatest state in the nation, South Carolina.
On Wednesday, Mace followed up with another post revealing what will come next after her current term ends.
“Headed back to the private sector at the end of this term, as the Founders intended,” Mace wrote.
“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.”
Headed back to the private sector at the end of this term, as the Founders intended.
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. https://t.co/4mjcGRjcUY
— Nancy Mace (@NancyMace) June 10, 2026
Mace served in the South Carolina House before running for her current seat.
Before that, she mounted an unsuccessful bid to unseat GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham in 2014.
Graham won his primary Tuesday and will seek another six-year term in the Senate, where he has served since 2003.
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Johnathan Jones is a journalist, novelist, and media analyst with experience as a reporter, editor, and producer across radio, television, and digital platforms. Follow him on X: @misterjkjones
