Nancy Mace's senior adviser resigns, urges voters to 'scratch her from list' in SC governor's race
Nick Reynolds ·
Austin McCubbin, a longtime political strategist and senior adviser on Nancy Mace's South Carolina gubernatorial campaign, resigned in December 2025 and publicly urged voters to reject her candidacy. McCubbin characterized Mace as having become 'a proxy for Rand Paul's 2028 presidential campaign' due to funding from Paul-affiliated groups, framing his departure as a principled objection to outside influence over her campaign. The resignation marked a significant internal fracture as Mace sought Donald Trump's endorsement in the 2026 governor's race.
"scratch her from [the] list", Austin McCubbin, former Mace senior adviser
Post and Courier reporter Nick Reynolds reported on December 1, 2025 that Austin McCubbin, who had worked as a political strategist for Mace over an extended period, resigned from her gubernatorial campaign and issued a public statement actively opposing her candidacy. McCubbin's stated reason was that Mace had become financially and politically aligned with Senator Rand Paul's orbit through Paul-affiliated funding, which he said made her a vehicle for Paul's own 2028 presidential ambitions rather than a genuine South Carolina-first candidate.
The resignation was a notable blow to Mace's 2026 governor's run, coming as she was working to secure a Trump endorsement. It extended what the Post and Courier and FITSNews have framed as a pattern of senior departures that has drawn ongoing press scrutiny.
Related coverage
