Republican Representative Nancy Mace has no regrets about her decision to advocate for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, despite placing a distant fifth in South Carolina’s Republican primary for governor.
Mace finished last in the June 9 GOP gubernatorial primary, which was influenced by her failure to receive an endorsement from President Donald Trump. She attributed this to her vote to make the Epstein files public.
This outcome highlights the significant influence of Trump’s endorsement in Republican primaries and the political risks associated with opposing him on prominent issues.
Pamela Evette and Alan Wilson are advancing to a runoff on June 23. Mace’s defeat leaves her political future uncertain after she gave up her House seat to run.
Evette led the Republican candidates with 28.9 percent of the vote, followed by Wilson with 26.2 percent. Mace finished with 12.1 percent.
The debate over the Epstein files became a key issue in the race, revealing divisions within the Republican Party concerning transparency and loyalty to Trump.
Mace emerged as a strong advocate within the GOP for the release of the files, putting her at odds with Trump at a critical campaign moment.
Mace stated, “I voted to release the Epstein files and lost some support for that,” expressing peace with the outcome and describing it as a “moral emergency.”
She portrayed herself as a candidate ready to challenge the powerful across both political parties, emphasizing the significance of uncovering alleged misconduct. Mace referred to what she termed a “sexual harassment slush fund” and stressed that exposing such issues outweighed electoral gains.
Her message heavily relied on her personal and political identity, particularly as a sexual assault survivor. Mace said her experience informed her decision to support the release of the files, framing it as part of a broader accountability effort.
Despite the defeat, Mace signaled her intention to remain engaged in public life. She assured supporters, “this isn’t the end of the fight, it’s just the end of this chapter.”
This story is still developing. More updates will follow.
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