Instead, Trump’s preferred candidate, South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, and Attorney General Alan Wilson both advanced to a runoff on June 23.
For months, South Carolina’s Republican gubernatorial primary unfolded without President Trump taking sides, leaving the six GOP contenders competing for his endorsement. Trump finally weighed in during the campaign’s closing weeks, backing Evette and highlighting her close ties to outgoing Gov. Henry McMaster (R), one of his earliest political allies.
Ahead of the primary, Mace acknowledged that her involvement in releasing the Epstein files last year likely cost her any chance of securing Trump’s support. Even so, she pressed forward despite facing millions of dollars in negative advertising funded by her rivals.
Mace finished a dismal fifth place, garnering just over 12 percent of the vote, according to Wednesday morning vote tallies
The loss leaves Mace’s political future unclear.
By entering the governor’s race, she gave up her bid for reelection to her coastal congressional seat and told POLITICO she has no plans to seek a return to Congress.
🚨Election News: Nancy Mace has conceded the South Carolina GOP Primary for Governor and endorsed Alan Wilson for Governor in the runoff pic.twitter.com/G4Lwb7fX6S
— The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) June 10, 2026
Earlier this primary season, another Trump foe, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), lost his primary and will be out of Congress in January.
The combination of sustained attack ads and Trump’s decision to back another candidate ultimately derailed Mace’s campaign, preventing her from advancing
Massie also refused to support the Big Beautiful Bill, which, among other things, made permanent Trump’s first-term tax cuts that were set to expire.
Analysts have said those tax cuts benefitted more than 85 percent of working Americans.
Susan Collins, seeking a sixth term, won her primary Tuesday as well, and will once again find herself targeted by national Democrats aiming to flip her U.S. Senate seat.
With her House career now nearing its end, Mace could spend her remaining months in office taking positions that complicate Trump’s legislative priorities, the outlet reported
Collins, the only GOP senator representing a state won by Kamala Harris in 2024, has been Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s top target for years.
Democratic groups have already flooded the airwaves with attacks, while the DSCC and allies pour resources into boosting highly controversial Democratic primary winner Graham Platner ahead of the primary.
Earlier this week, Collins warned that voters will find Platner to be “too radical.”
He has bucked Trump repeatedly on several issues including pushing for the Epstein files to be released – which they were after Trump signed bipartisan legislation to force their release
Platner hopes to unseat the longtime Republican senator with the help of Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and Rep. Ro Khanna of California.
The small-time oyster farmer has been forced to defend himself recently due to growing controversy and unfavorable headlines.
Among his many progressive policy stances, Platner, on his campaign website, urges “passing a constitutional amendment to ban billionaires buying elections!”
Longtime Maine Republican Sen
And he highlights that he’s “a strong supporter of a Medicare for All system” and that he “will support a path to citizenship and an end to the mass deportation machine.”
Race call – Susen Collins wins the Republican renomination for the Maine Senate race pic.twitter.com/oQ8IFonFrh
— Political Polls (@PpollingNumbers) June 10, 2026
Asked if Platner is too far to the left for voters in her northern New England state, Collins responded in a Fox News interview, “I believe that will be the conclusion of Maine voters. But, obviously, I don’t take anything for granted.”
