Mace and Wilson compete as the best candidates of the GOP for the Governor of SC in 2026

EXCLUSIVE – While she launched her campaign for the Governor of Southern Carolina, the Republican representative Nancy Mace targeted what she called “weak leadership” in the state.

MACE’s declaration, which was first reported by Fox News Digital on Monday, seemed to be a subtle excavation among state -owned state leaders, including the long -standing prosecutor of South Carolina, Alan Wilson, who is the first rival of the Governor’s republican appointment.

Mace and Wilson are considered the fronts in a primary field of the gop crowded in the 2026 race to succeed the republican governor limited to terms Henry McMaster, who is the oldest governor in the state of the Palmetto.

Wilson, in an exclusive national interview with Fox News Digital a few hours after Mace announced his candidacy, argued that “Mace has unleashed and delighted for six months to present himself to the governor without saying it”.

The Brand Républicaine Nancy Mace jumps in the crowded race of South Carolina for the Governor

The South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson returns the fire against the Republican appointment representative to the appointment to Governor Nancy Mace, in a digital interview Fox News. (Tracy Glantz / The State / Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Mace told Fox News a week and a half ago, before his campaign launch, “I will fight on arrival, and I will take the South Carolina General’s prosecutor out, because he has closed eyes on women and children and the state for many reasons. He could force me to do so.”

Mace, in a bomb speech on the floor of the American house in February, alleged that Wilson had ignored evidence of sexual assault against her and other women. In her one-hour speech, Mace accused four men, including her ex-fiancé, of sexual crimes and said that she was one of the victims.

Ralph Norman, member of the Freedom caucus

Wilson vehemently denied the accusations of Mace, saying at the time “that allegation has never been done to me – no one in my office”.

Wilson, in a recent declaration to Fox News, argued that “Mace is a liar who will do everything to attract attention to distract from his liberal voting file. I served our country and dedicated my civil career to the protection of children.”

And pointing to Mace, Wilson said on Monday that “it is obvious to me that she thinks more than I think of her. I was very busy doing my job here in South Carolina and I really don’t pay much attention to this person.”

The Republican representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina is interviewed by Fox News Digital on July 25, 2025 in Manchester, New Hampshire. (Paul Steinhauser – Fox News)

“I am not running against anyone,” he added. “I run for the inhabitants of South Carolina.”

Wilson said that when he campaigned for the governor, he “tries to have a message that is edifying, an aspiration message, and I try to demonstrate to the inhabitants of Southern Carolina that I have an accomplishment record, a success record and I would be a stable hand on the steering wheel of South Carolina.”

And in what seemed to be a blow to Mace, he added: “I think you can be an agent of the change and the reform of our state without being a chaos agent.”

Wilson has shown what he called his “real assessment, support and defense of victims of crime in South Carolina as well as pursuing civil servants who commit corrupt acts”.

And emphasizing a problem that Mace regularly highlights, Wilson said “when it comes to resisting women and girls in sport and protecting women in private spaces, I am the only candidate who was in court to defend the laws of South Carolina.”

Mace launched his governor campaign with an event at the Citadel of Charleston, who is the military college of South Carolina and her Alma Mater. Mace has entered history as a first woman graduated from the Cadets of the Citadel’s cadets.

But Wilson, in his digital interview Fox News, underlined his long military career.

“The governor of South Carolina is the commander-in-chief of the Southern Carolina National Guard,” he noted. “I’m almost 30 years old in the army. I’ve done a combat tour in Iraq. I’m currently colonel at the National Guard. And I’m the only person in this race with real combat experience.”

And stressing his support for the police, Wilson said that he had been approved by 26 sheriffs through the State, including the five in the Mace Congress district, in the Lowntry of South Carolina.

Wilson said its priorities as governor “would focus on the reform of our education system, investing it in our infrastructure, getting rid of fraud, waste and abuse, eliminating income tax and being more responsible for the inhabitants of South Carolina will be my priorities.”

Mace and Wilson are faced with the primary of a republican governor with Lieutenant-Governor Pamela Evette, representative Ralph Norman and State senator Josh Kibrell.

President Donald Trump is advisor Air Force One on August 1, 2025 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. (Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images)

President Donald Trump remains neutral so far in primary school. Trump’s grip on the GOP, thanks to his victory in 2024 to win back the White House, is stronger than ever, and his mentions in the nomination races of the GOP are extremely influential.

When asked if she could win the president’s approval, Mace recently told Fox News Digital that “I will work very hard if I arrive to win his support”.

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But Wilson stressed that he “supported President Trump as a prosecutor general since his first mandate … I defended the president in court. I defended his program in court. I have an excellent relationship with the president.”

Wilson added: “I intend to win his approval and win his support as he won mine. And I had my back in the past eight or nine years.”