JUNE 7, 2026
South Carolina GOP Gubernatorial Primary Tests Trump Endorsement as Mace Defends Epstein Vote
President Trump endorsed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette in the South Carolina Republican gubernatorial primary days before the June 9 election, joining a crowded five-candidate field that also includes Rep. Nancy Mace, Attorney General Alan Wilson, Rep. Ralph Norman, and businessman Rom Reddy. Mace has said her vote to force a release of Jeffrey Epstein-related files was the reason she did not receive Trump's endorsement. If no candidate clears a majority, the top two finishers will advance to a runoff scheduled for June 23.
Rep. Nancy Mace is competing in one of the most closely watched state primaries of the 2026 cycle, a race in which Trump's late endorsement of Evette has become the defining external factor. Trump posted on Truth Social that Evette is "a good friend, fighter, and WINNER," and noted she would likely select current Gov. Henry McMaster's son as lieutenant governor. The announcement came in the final two-week window of the primary, as early voting was already underway.
Mace told both Politico and Fox News Digital that she had anticipated losing the endorsement once she signed onto Rep. Thomas Massie's discharge petition to force a House vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act — legislation that urged the Department of Justice to publish its full investigative record on Epstein and associate Ghislaine Maxwell. "I knew it was on the line when I voted to release the Epstein files, and I'm a survivor," Mace said. "If the price to pay for an endorsement was to not release those files, I would never pay it." She described the Epstein vote as "the sole reason" she did not receive Trump's backing, and said she has no regrets.
Mace's campaign has faced obstacles beyond the endorsement. A November incident at Charleston Airport, in which Mace reportedly confronted law enforcement and TSA agents in a profanity-laced exchange over a preorranged escort, drew criticism from Sens. Tim Scott and Lindsey Graham. Mace defended her behavior, attributing it to inadequate security given the volume of threats she said she receives. In February, she made allegations of sexual crimes against her ex-fiancé and his associates during a House floor speech — allegations they denied — and has been representing herself in subsequent litigation. Despite strong fundraising, an AdImpact analysis cited by Politico showed Mace spent nothing on television advertising and only $50,000 on digital ads, while total Republican primary ad spending reached nearly $28 million, including roughly $2 million in negative ads targeting her specifically.