Outgoing Representative Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) declared Thursday that she intends to become “more of a menace than ever” as her time in Congress winds down, following a decisive loss in the state’s Republican gubernatorial primary.
The remark came in response to a social media post from comedian Rob Schneider, who praised Mace as “the champion we didn’t deserve.” Mace replied on X, “Never thought I’d get my Congressional send-off from Deuce Bigalow,” referencing Schneider’s character from the 1999 film Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo. She added, “Don’t worry sir, I promise to be more of a menace than ever. There is nothing to hold me back. Thank you for the kind words @RobSchneider.”
Mace finished fifth in Tuesday’s GOP primary, with Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette—backed by former President Donald Trump—and state Attorney General Alan Wilson advancing to a June 23 runoff. The result effectively ended Mace’s hopes of staying in public office, and she announced Wednesday she would return to the private sector when her House term expires in January 2027.
Before her election to Congress in 2020, Mace founded a public relations firm and co-owned FITSNews, a South Carolina-based news outlet. She also served in the state House. “Serving South Carolina has been the greatest honor of my life,” Mace wrote on X Tuesday. “Every vote I cast, every hearing I called, every fight I picked — it was always for you.”
Mace entered Congress in January 2021 and quickly broke with over 100 House GOP colleagues by stating Congress lacked authority to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Over the next five years, she evolved into a conservative firebrand. In 2024, she introduced legislation to bar transgender individuals from using bathrooms in the U.S. Capitol that do not correspond with their sex assigned at birth, following the election of Representative Sarah McBride (D-Del.), a transgender woman.
Yet Mace has also defied her party on select issues. She was one of just four House Republicans to sign a discharge petition for the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which later became law. In March, she introduced a resolution directing the House Oversight Committee to subpoena former Attorney General Pam Bondi for documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case. Bondi, whom Trump fired in April, testified before the committee last month. Mace, a rape survivor, said Tuesday she “chose to stand on principle” on the Epstein matter, even at the cost of political support.
On Thursday, Mace was among 15 House members who did not vote on an unsuccessful bid to extend warrantless surveillance powers under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Later that morning, she was one of 17 lawmakers who skipped a vote on a resolution condemning those who “seek to defraud” the federal government.
Mace’s departure from Congress marks the end of a tumultuous tenure that saw her shift from a moderate on election integrity to a vocal culture warrior, while still occasionally bucking GOP leadership. Her promise to remain a “menace” suggests she will continue to wield influence from the sidelines, likely through media appearances and commentary on conservative platforms.
As South Carolina’s GOP runoff approaches, the race between Evette and Wilson will determine who succeeds term-limited Governor Henry McMaster. The winner will face Democratic nominee and state Senator Mia McLeod in November 2026.
