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Part of: The 2026 South Carolina Senate Special Election · January 6 & the Trump Relationship

Jezebel

So Apparently Nancy Mace's Fifth Stage of Grief Is Running for Senate

Jezebel writes that Nancy Mace began floating herself for Lindsey Graham's Senate seat within hours of his death, posting the Godfather Part III 'they pull me back in' line around 9:43 a.m. Sunday and telling Fox News she would 'never going to shut the door.' A source confirmed to Jezebel that Mace is considering the run and plans to poll an exploratory bid this week, potentially using leftover federal campaign cash, one month after her fifth-place governor-primary finish and twelve years after her first run at Graham's seat also ended in fifth place.

Danielle Han ·

So Apparently Nancy Mace's Fifth Stage of Grief Is Running for Senate, Jezebel (Getty Images)
Photo: Jezebel. Source

Written by Danielle Han at Jezebel. This one is commentary, and the headline is the thesis: Graham died Saturday night, and by Sunday morning Mace's grieving process had produced a Senate exploratory effort.

The timeline Jezebel assembles: about six hours after Graham's death was announced, at roughly 9:43 a.m. Sunday, Mace posted the Godfather Part III line "Just when I thought I was out… they pull me back in…" On Fox News the same day, she made the subtext text:

"I'm never going to shut the door. You only live once and, you know, if the people of South Carolina would like me to serve in that capacity, I'll certainly take a look at it."

Nancy Mace on Fox News, July 12, 2026, as quoted by Jezebel

Citing Politico's reporting, and a source of its own who confirmed it, Jezebel reports Mace plans to poll for an exploratory bid this week, potentially using the leftover cash in her federal campaign account. An Axios source summed up her mindset for the race as "YOLO."

Jezebel then runs the tape on why the math is hard, quoting CNN data journalist Harry Enten:

"At this point, I don't see the math there. The people who are putting their money where their mouths are don't give Nancy Mace much of a chance to win that nomination."

Harry Enten, CNN, as quoted by Jezebel

The piece notes the historical rhyme: Mace has run for this exact seat before, primarying Graham in 2014, and finished fifth, the same placement she managed in last month's governor primary. It also catalogs the recent record it argues voters have already judged: the TSA screaming episodes, the false hate-speech accusation against Rep. Ilhan Omar, her proposal to bar naturalized citizens from Congress, and her stated enjoyment of ICE detention videos. Jezebel's characterizations are its own; Mace, for her part, says the door stays open.

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Sources & related coverage

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