At a campaign event in Charleston, South Carolina, Congresswoman Nancy Mace formally launched her bid for governor. Mace is using her platform to focus on law enforcement, child protection, and what she called “defending women’s spaces.” Among the promises made to supporters, Mace pledged to sign a bill that would ban transgender individuals from using bathrooms that do not correspond to their sex assigned at birth.
“If I’m your next governor,” Mace told the crowd, “I will sign a bathroom bill into law—because mentally ill men don’t belong in women’s spaces.” The remark was met with applause from some attendees but immediately sparked criticism online from LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, who denounced her language as dangerous and dehumanizing.
The proposed legislation mirrors bills passed or introduced in other Republican-led states, often described by supporters as protecting women and children, but widely condemned by civil rights organizations as discriminatory and legally questionable. In South Carolina, no such bill has advanced through the legislature in recent sessions, but Mace’s endorsement could signal a renewed push in 2025 if she secures the Republican nomination.
Mace, who currently represents South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, framed her platform around what she called “law and order with compassion.” She outlined plans to increase penalties for violent and sexual crimes, ensure law enforcement has better resources for processing rape kits and forensic evidence, and conduct a full audit of the state’s child welfare system.
She said, “I want to increase fines and sentences for violent crimes and sexual abuse. We’re going to prosecute all crimes, but especially those against children.”
Mace’s remarks also touched on recent federal legislation like her successful amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, which calls for the death penalty for child rapists in military courts under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. That amendment, while not yet law, has gained traction among conservatives in Congress.
Despite focusing much of her speech on children’s safety and victim rights, Mace’s stance on transgender issues is likely to become one of the most polarizing aspects of her campaign. Critics argue that bathroom bills have no evidence-based benefit to public safety and instead increase stigma and risk for transgender people—particularly transgender youth.
National LGBTQ+ organizations responded swiftly to Mace’s comments. The Human Rights Campaign called the proposed bill “a direct attack on South Carolina’s transgender community,” warning that it could encourage harassment and further marginalize an already vulnerable population.
Still, Mace appears to be betting that the issue will resonate with Republican primary voters. As the gubernatorial race begins to take shape, her stance on transgender rights may define a key cultural fault line in South Carolina politics.
Whether the state’s broader electorate will embrace or reject that message remains to be seen.
