Rep Nancy Mace to leave Congress after primary loss

Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina has announced she will leave Congress and return to the private sector after her current term ends in January 2027, following a decisive defeat in her bid for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. Mace finished in fifth place in a crowded seven-candidate primary on Tuesday, June 9, failing to advance to a runoff.

The congresswoman confirmed her plans in a social media post on Wednesday, writing that she would be "headed back to the private sector" as she had pledged to serve only three terms when first elected. Mace has represented South Carolina's 1st Congressional District since 2021, becoming the first Republican woman elected to Congress from the state.

The Republican primary was dominated by the question of former President Donald Trump's endorsement, which ultimately went to Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette. Evette and state Attorney General Alan Wilson advanced to a runoff scheduled for June 23. In her concession, Mace attributed her loss in part to her vote to release documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case, stating that as a survivor of sexual assault she chose to stand on principle even though it likely cost her...