Nancy Mace Gets DESTROYED During Primaries, 2nd to Last Place!

Nancy Mace finished fifth in her own party’s primary and then told the world exactly why she thinks it happened — and the answer involves Jeffrey Epstein.

Quick Take

Mace finished fifth in the South Carolina Republican gubernatorial primary on June 9, 2026, with about 11% of the vote.
She blamed her loss on her push to release the Epstein files, saying it cost her President Trump’s endorsement.
Trump endorsed Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette instead, a signal that proved decisive in a crowded six-candidate field.
After conceding, Mace endorsed South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson for the race.

A Fifth-Place Finish That Speaks for Itself

Nancy Mace did not lose by a little. She finished fifth in a six-person Republican primary for South Carolina governor, pulling roughly 11% of the vote. ^[6] That is not a near-miss. That is a collapse. She had served in Congress, built a national profile, and still could not crack the top half of her own party’s field in her home state. The result demands an explanation, and Mace had one ready before the night was over.

Standing at her campaign headquarters in Charleston, Mace delivered a concession speech that was equal parts defeat and defiance. ^[6] She said, in effect, that she chose the Epstein files over a Trump endorsement, and that choice cost her the race. Her exact words cut right to it: “And apparently, I chose wrong if the goal was winning an election.” That line is either the most honest thing a losing candidate has said in years, or the most carefully crafted exit message in recent South Carolina politics. Maybe both.

The Epstein Files and the Trump Endorsement That Never Came

For months, the South Carolina governor’s race was defined by one glaring absence: Trump had not picked a side. ^[1] Six Republicans were running, and the field waited. Mace had been vocal about pushing for the release of files connected to Jeffrey Epstein, the financier and convicted sex offender whose network of powerful associates has never been fully exposed to the public. Her alliance with Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie on that effort put her at odds with the political forces closest to Trump. ^[1]

Trump eventually endorsed Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette. ^[1] That endorsement landed like a verdict. In a Republican primary in South Carolina, a Trump endorsement is not just a boost — it is often the whole ballgame. Mace knew this. She had already said publicly that her Epstein push likely cost her that support. The primary results confirmed what she already suspected.

What This Loss Actually Tells Us About Republican Politics Right Now

The Mace story fits a pattern that keeps repeating in Republican primaries. Candidates who break with Trump on high-profile issues pay a price at the ballot box. Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana learned it. Representative Massie of Kentucky learned it. ^[1] Now Mace has learned it in the sharpest possible way — not a close loss, but a fifth-place finish that leaves no room for spin about bad timing or a split vote.

Republican Rep. Nancy Mace suffered a crushing defeat in South Carolina’s GOP governor primary, finishing fifth with just 11.6% of votes and failing to reach the runoff . Trump’s snub and attacks from opponents sealed her brutal loss, capping a rough political downfall.#NancyMace pic.twitter.com/WlGqfzH646

— Heading (@HeadingDaily) June 10, 2026

There is a legitimate debate about whether Mace’s framing is accurate or strategic. Losing candidates often point to a principled stand as the reason for defeat. It preserves dignity and keeps them relevant. But in this case, the timeline backs her up. Her public role in the Epstein file push is documented. Trump’s endorsement went elsewhere. The connection is hard to dismiss as spin. Whether voters rejected her because of Epstein specifically, or because a Trump endorsement for someone else simply moved the herd, the outcome was the same. ^[1] ^[6]

After the Concession: Mace Backs Alan Wilson

Mace did not leave the stage bitter, at least not publicly. She endorsed South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson after conceding. ^[4] That move keeps her inside the party tent and signals she is not done in South Carolina politics. A fifth-place finish is a hard thing to come back from, but politicians have rebuilt from worse. The question is whether the Epstein issue she championed will follow her as a liability or eventually look like a badge of courage. That answer depends entirely on what, if anything, those files ever reveal.