SC-01 Candidate Profile: Rep. Nancy Mace

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)- Incumbent congresswoman Nancy Mace (R) is looking to hold onto her seat in Washington as she works to fend off SC-01 Democratic challenger, Dr. Annie Andrews.

Mace was born on Fort Bragg in North Carolina and received a degree in business administration from the Citadel before earning a master’s degree in journalism and mass communication from the University of Georgia.  

From 2018 to 2020, she represented the 99th district in the South Carolina House of Representatives, covering Hanahan, northeast Mount Pleasant, and Daniel Island. 

Mace was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2020, ousting Democrat Joe Cunningham and becoming the first Republican woman to represent South Carolina in Congress. In June 2022, she won her party’s nomination and the chance to keep her seat by defeating Trump-backed candidate Katie Arrington during the state’s primary.

On the Issues:

Mace’s campaign website identifies nine major issues which she plans to address, the top three of which are women’s rights, the economy, and border security.

Women’s rights:

As the first woman to graduate from the Citadel, Mace touts herself as a champion for “protecting women and women’s rights,” with a particular focus on transgender athletes in women’s sports and abortion.

According to her campaign website, Mace believes that biological boys should not compete against girls in sports saying they have “completely unfair physical advantages” and that to allow so would be “taking away women’s rights in sports.”

On the topic of reproductive rights, Mace has warned against extreme takes on abortion by Republicans and said that lawmakers need to find common ground. The incumbent supported the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade but criticized state bans that include no exceptions for rape, incest, or life of the mother.

The economy:

Another focal point for the congresswoman is what she calls “out-of-control inflation.” In August, she voted along party lines against the ‘Inflation Reduction Act’ in August saying it “doesn’t even begin to address the major, contributing factors to inflation (spending and taxes).”

Mace advocates for American energy independence, lowering taxes, bringing jobs to the Lowcountry, and implementing the “Penny Plan” to balance the federal budget as a way to curb rising gas and grocery prices.

Border security:

The incumbent also stresses border security as a top issue in her fight to “Keep the First,” voicing support for one of former President Donald Trump’s signature policies: finishing the wall at the border with Mexico.

The daughter of a retired U.S. Army Brigadier General, Mace has been a staunch supporter of veterans and the military during her time in Congress, sponsoring multiple pieces of legislation on the House Committee of Veterans’ Affairs.

Representative Mace and Dr. Andrews face off in the only debate before the election Wednesday night at 8:00 p.m. on WCBD News 2.