NANCY MACE EXPANDS LEAD IN SC REPUBLICAN GUBERNATORIAL PRIMARY: ONLY CANDIDATE GAINING GROUND
Stratus Intelligence Survey Shows Mace in First Place, with Favorability Rising While Rivals’ Numbers Decline
A new survey of likely Republican primary voters released today shows Congresswoman Nancy Mace firmly leading the field in the 2026 South Carolina governor’s race, and widening her advantage as the campaign heats up.
The Stratus Intelligence survey, conducted from March 9-11, 2026, shows Mace leading the Republican primary field with 24% of likely voters, six points ahead of the nearest competitor. But the topline number only tells part of the story.
Since Stratus’s January survey, Mace’s favorability climbed from 34% to 42%, while unfavorability went down. She is the only candidate in the field trending in the right direction. Wilson, Evette, and Norman have each seen their unfavorability increase as more voters get to know them, a troubling trajectory heading into the final stretch of the primary.
The ballot stands as follows:
- Nancy Mace: 24%
- Alan Wilson: 18%
- Pamela Evette: 15%
- Ralph Norman: 14%
- Undecided: 29%
“Mace’s high favorability, strong standing, and positive trajectory place her in the best position to consolidate additional support while the rest of the field is stuck vying for second place.”
– Clare Considine, Director of Polling at Stratus Intelligence
With nearly one-third of the electorate still undecided, Mace’s strong position and upward trajectory give her campaign a clear runway to consolidate the primary.
SURVEY METHODOLOGY
Stratus Intelligence surveyed 600 likely Republican primary voters from South Carolina March 9–11, 2026, using a mix of SMS-to-web and live calls. Results were weighted to reflect modeled turnout benchmarks for age, gender, education, and geography. Margin of error: ±3.9%.
Click Here for Polling Memo PDF
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