Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) announced her return to the private sector after finishing last in the South Carolina Republican primary for governor.
Mace conceded Tuesday's race after only receiving roughly 12.1 percent of the vote, announcing on Wednesday her intent to leave the public office following her current congressional term.
Mace did not disclose specific details of her future work.
During her gubernatorial campaign, the three-term congresswoman struggled to raise money and rarely made television appearances.
Mace's tenure in Congress has been marked by a rocky relationship with President Donald Trump, and her history with the president goes back a decade.
Mace previously worked as a field director on Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Trump endorsed Mace in her first congressional run in 2020. After sharply criticizing him following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, she later endorsed his 2024 presidential campaign. She praised Trump during her speech at the Republican National Convention, and described herself as “Trump in high heels” after she won reelection.
Mace sought Trump’s endorsement in her gubernatorial bid but ultimately never received it.
The congresswoman was among a small number of Republicans who supported efforts to release documents from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, joining Democrats in the effort to force a House vote on releasing the files.
In a lengthy statement posted after her loss on Tuesday, the South Carolina congresswoman acknowledged that she lost support within her party for voting for the release of the Epstein files but maintained that she stands by her decision.
Wilson will face off against Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette in the runoff on June 23.
Evette, unlike Mace, received Trump’s endorsement. The race has highlighted Trump’s strong ties in South Carolina, underscoring his continued influence within the Republican Party, and ability to rally support among voters for his preferred candidates.
Mace's current and final term in Congress ends on Jan. 3, 2027.