Nancy Mace

Nancy Mace’s political career appeared over last month following a demoralizing Republican gubernatorial primary loss, with the three-term South Carolina congresswoman coming in fifth place.

But Mace, who is not one to shy away from the spotlight, might not be heading for the exits just yet. She is now reportedly considering a possible Senate bid, running for the seat left open by Senator Lindsey Graham following his death over the weekend. One source knowledgeable of Mace’s thinking on the race told Axios described her view on the race as “YOLO.”

After news of Graham’s sudden passing broke Sunday, Mace shared a remembrance of the longtime senator on social media, writing that South Carolina “lost a giant last night.”

Hours later, Mace followed up that reverent post with one in a distinctly different tone, sharing a clip of Al Pacino as Michael Corleone in The Godfather: Part III, and adding the movie’s iconic line in the caption: “Just when I thought I was out… they pull me back in…,” in apparent reference to her interest in Graham’s seat.

In an Fox News interview later that day, the congresswoman notably did not rule out a potential bid. “I’m never going to shut the door. I love the state of South Carolina. 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. But right now, I just want to focus on him and his legacy, what he did for the state,” Mace said.

If Mace decides to launch a new campaign, it wouldn’t be her first time running for the seat. In 2014, Mace was one of several candidates in a crowded field attempting to challenge Graham. The senator won the primary handily with 56 percent of the vote, and went on to secure his third term in the Senate. And this time, Mace is coming off a significant loss. In her bid to be South Carolina’s governor, Mace consistently trailed in polls and ultimately came in fifth place with 12 percent behind state Attorney General Alan Wilson and Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette who both advanced to a runoff election. Wilson later emerged as the victor, securing the Republican nomination.

Mace has spent much of what was believed to be her final term in Congress consistently mired in controversy. Last year, she berated security at the Charleston International Airport in a highly publicized tirade that prompted condemnation from both Graham and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott. She also butted heads with her Republican colleagues and President Donald Trump as she called for the release of the government’s files on sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Throughout her time in office, she has consistently shed staffers from her office and has also feuded with Representative Cory Mills of Florida; each lawmaker has threatened the other with expulsion.

A possible Mace Senate run is already receiving some pushback. Mace’s House colleague, Representative Mike Lawler of New York, objected to her Godfather-themed musings about Graham’s seat, suggesting she was being disrespectful to his memory.

“Literally no one is pulling you back in. This post is grotesque,” Lawler wrote on social media. “ Taking glee over the potential of becoming a Senator because of a vacancy created by the sudden death of your colleague is vile. Completely unfit to serve.”

Mara Mellstrom, a former chief of staff of Mace, also seemed to push back on the idea of her onetime boss succeeding Graham. In response to Mace’s plan to poll for a potential bid, Mellstrom wrote, “Believe a quite conclusive statewide poll occurred roughly 30 days ago,” referring to Mace’s demonstrative loss in the governor’s race. Mace will also likely have to contend with opposition from Trump and others in his camp. Politico reports that Trump allies are likely to push against the potential appointment of Mace to finish Graham’s term, citing Mace’s opposition to Trump on the Epstein files. Trump himself is calling on McMaster to appoint Darline Graham Nordone, Graham’s sister, as his interim replacement. “This would be a fabulous tribute to Lindsey, who loved her dearly!,” he wrote on TruthSocial Monday.