Republican South Carolina Representative Nancy Mace is in second place in the gubernatorial primary race, a new poll shows on Monday, but more than 40 percent of voters remain undecided.
Newsweek reached out to political analysts via email for comment.
Why It Matters
Early polls in the Palmetto State’s 2026 Republican governor’s primary have featured Mace as a front-runner, yet a large portion of the electorate remains unsure. Mace, a well-known ally of President Donald Trump, has drawn national attention for her outspoken positions on state and national policy including transgender laws, abortion and her efforts to censure Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar after the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The primary will determine the GOP’s standard-bearer in an election widely expected to decide the state’s next governor, as South Carolina has not elected a Democratic governor in more than two decades. The dynamics of the crowded race and high number of undecided voters are likely to drive intense campaigning and influence policy debate both locally and nationally.
What To Know
The Trafalgar Group poll shows Mace with 15.8 percent of the potential vote, trailing Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette, who garnered 19.9 percent. Attorney General Alan Wilson landed in third place with 12.4 percent, Representative Ralph Norman had 9.3 percent of the vote and State Senator Josh Kimbrell picked up 1.3 percent. The percentage of voters still undecided easily led the poll though, with 41.3.
The poll surveyed 1,094 likely Republican primary voters from September 30 to October 2. The poll’s margin of error is 2.9 percent.
Mace’s favorability rating in the poll is 40 percent versus a 48.1 percent unfavorable rating. Evette’s favorability rating hit 36.1 percent compared to a 22.8 percent unfavorable rating.
Recent polling conducted by co/efficient on September 18 and September 19, also among 1,094 likely GOP primary voters, showed Mace in the lead with 19 percent support. Evette followed closely with 18 percent, while Wilson had 16 percent, Norman 10 percent and Kimbrell 2 percent. Notably, 35 percent of respondents showed as undecided, and the margin of error was 3.17 percentage points.
What People Are Saying
Mace, on X on Monday reacting to the poll: “The Lt. Governor is up to her ‘old tricks’ again… no one is surprised, she lies, about almost everything, including this FAKE poll. Ask her how much money she raised, she won’t tell you how much with how many donors or how much she gave, how much she loaned, how much she transferred. It’s all smoke and mirrors, trying to buy votes with fake polls and her own money, hardly any contributions from real people. And she definitely isn’t polling anywhere close to first. LOL”
Evette, on X in August: “BREAKING NEWS Our first ad went live this morning. I’m proud to be the only DAY ONE Trump supporter in this race and the only one who’s built a billion-dollar company from the ground up. As a businesswoman, I know what it takes to get results. And when others turned their backs, I stood firm with President Trump.”
D. Stephen Voss, political science professor at the University of Kentucky, previously told Newsweek via email reacting to the co/efficient poll in September: “These poll results show a nomination race that’s wide open, not only because three possible choices are essentially tied, but also because voters still need to get to know most names on the list. It’s a crowded field, though, and we don’t know who the second and third choices of these voters would be. If a winnowing process takes place, and some of the declared candidates withdraw, voters could sort out in a way that makes the race more lopsided.
What Happens Next
The South Carolina Republican gubernatorial primary is expected to become increasingly competitive, with candidates sharpening their policy pitches as voter awareness grows.
Trump has not yet endorsed a candidate, a decision that could sway the race. The winner of the GOP primary will become the likely prohibitive favorite in the November 3, 2026, general election.