Nancy Mace: Overview

Official public-domain portrait of Rep. Nancy Mace (U.S. House of Representatives, 118th Congress). Source: Wikimedia Commons / U.S. House of Representatives.

Nancy Mace (born December 4, 1977) is an American politician serving as the United States Representative for South Carolina's 1st congressional district. A member of the Republican Party, she was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2020 and represents a coastal district that includes much of the Charleston area. She is now in her third term, having been re-elected in 2022 and 2024.

Early life and education

Mace was born on December 4, 1977. She is the daughter of a career U.S. Army officer. In 1999 she became the first woman to graduate from The Citadel's Corps of Cadets, the state's senior military college in Charleston. The Citadel began admitting women into the Corps of Cadets in 1996, following federal litigation over its all-male admissions policy. She later wrote about that experience in a memoir.

She subsequently earned a degree in journalism. Before entering politics she worked in business and consulting, including in real estate and public relations.

Political career

Mace served in the South Carolina House of Representatives, representing a district in the Charleston area, before running for federal office. In 2020 she was elected to the U.S. House, winning the 1st district general election with approximately 51 percent of the vote. She was re-elected in 2022 and again in 2024, and is currently in her third term.

A conservative Republican, Mace was critical of Donald Trump during the 2016 election cycle but subsequently became a strong Trump supporter.

In 2025 she launched a campaign for Governor of South Carolina in the 2026 election cycle. See the 2026 Governor Campaign entry for detail.

See also

• The Citadel
• Congressional Career
• Litigation Overview