Republican representative Nancy Mace remains steadfast in her decision to push for the release of Jeffrey Epstein files, despite finishing fifth in South Carolina’s Republican primary for governor.
In the June 9 South Carolina GOP gubernatorial primary, Mace finished fifth after failing to secure President Donald Trump’s endorsement. She attributed her lack of endorsement to her decision to vote for the release of Epstein files.
The primary outcome highlighted the influence of Trump’s endorsement in Republican primaries, emphasizing the political risk involved in opposing him on prominent issues.
Pamela Evette and Alan Wilson advanced to a runoff scheduled for June 23. Mace’s loss leaves her political future uncertain, as she had given up her House seat to pursue the governorship.
Evette led the Republican field with 28.9 percent, with Wilson following closely at 26.2 percent. Mace finished last with 12.1 percent of the votes.
The tensions surrounding the Epstein files became a pivotal issue in the race, revealing divisions within the Republican Party over transparency and loyalty to Trump.
Mace emerged as a strong advocate for making the files public, directly challenging the president during a crucial phase of the campaign.
In response to her defeat, Mace issued a statement framing her loss as a testament to her principles rather than political failure. She commented, “I voted to release the Epstein files and lost some support for that,” expressing peace with the outcome and describing the issue as a “moral emergency.”
She portrayed herself as a candidate ready to confront powerful figures in both parties. Mace emphasized that exposing alleged misconduct, including what she referred to as a “sexual harassment slush fund,” was more crucial than winning elections.
Mace’s message centered heavily around personal and political identity. She has previously spoken about being a survivor of sexual assault, stating that her support for releasing the files was deeply rooted in her experience and framing the issue as a larger fight for accountability.
Despite the setback, she reassured her supporters that, “this isn’t the end of the fight — it’s just the end of this chapter.”
This story is developing. More information will follow.
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