SC Congresswoman Nancy Mace holds Beaufort town hall. Was it open to the public?
U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace held an in-person town hall in her district for the first time this year on Wednesday afternoon. Those living outside of the host site’s gates were not invited to join.
The town hall was held on Dataw Island, a private, gated community of about 1,000 homes east of downtown Beaufort. The event was hosted by the community’s owners association, which invited the congresswoman to attend the event. In last November’s election, the Republican lawmaker received nearly 65% of votes from the constituents in the community’s precinct.
Days earlier, the congresswoman was asked by a constituent in a Mount Pleasant store about whether she would be attending town halls in her district this year. That exchange, which quickly turned into a spat that Mace described as harassment, was captured and posted to social media.
Just before 4 p.m., a group of around 30 protesters gathered on Sea Island Parkway about a mile outside of Dataw’s front gate. One of these people was Susan Boyd, a 27-year Beaufort resident.
“I would like very much for Nancy Mace to hold a true town hall where her constituents are able to access her and not be choosing a select area where only a chosen few can get in,” Boyd said above the sound of horns from cars passing by. “It was never set up to be open to the public. She could have had it somewhere where there was a bigger auditorium and bigger mix of people.”
Barbara Nash, president of the Northern Beaufort County Democratic Club, stood on the other side of the street.
“I cannot support Nancy Mace, her policies or her behavior,” Nash said. “She’s afraid to face her constituents. ... She will not meet with us. She does not hold town halls, and when she does, she doesn’t listen to what her people are asking her to do.”
Before taking to the podium inside, Mace, who is eyeing a run for South Carolina governor, met with a small group of reporters on the back patio overlooking a community croquet field, marshes and a line of golf carts.
When asked about the timing of her town hall attendance, Mace said the event had been planned months in advance and that Dataw was the first and only community in her district to invite her to attend a town hall. Mace added that her team received an invitation from Hilton Head Island for a town hall in the future, although a date for that event was unclear.
The congresswoman then accused the reporters of not covering her previous town halls over the past four years.
“That’s why you guys are here, because you want to see something bad happen, and quite frankly, it’s BS,” Mace said. “You’re here today because you want to silence a conservative woman. You want to hopefully show that I will be embarrassed today, and I carry no shame.”
Inside, around 200 chairs were filled by members of the community inside the auditorium representing both sides of the political aisle. The congresswoman spoke about the different committees she serves on within Congress and recent legislation she has taken part in, including “over a dozen bills to protect women and girls” with plans for more in the future.
Mace answered about 20 questions that had been collected from members of the retiree-dominated community, and presented to her by a moderator. The questions touched on such topics as whether she supports “an America first agenda if it means America alone” and her position on possible budget cuts to Medicaid. Attendees did not have the opportunity to ask questions to the congresswoman themselves.
The event, for the most part, was peaceful. But like the protesters on the street corner, many inside the town hall wished the event had been open to the general public.
Two women from Dataw, Judy Raynor and Kerry Hadaway, left after 40 minutes. The women expressed their frustration with the town hall taking place inside the community’s gates, among other topics Mace discussed.
“She came in here because she feels safe and protected,” the women said, nearly in unison. They added that they were not permitted to invite guests inside the gates for the event.
They were joined by about 30 others who walked out of the town hall when the congresswoman answered a question about her views on the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Two other residents, Bonnie and Craig Manicki, among the majority of the room, stayed in their seats until the end. They are supporters of the congresswoman and were interested in hearing what she had to say, along with witnessing the island’s reception of her. It was their first time attending an event like this, they said. The retired couple, originally from California, said they admired Mace’s strength and straightforward nature.
“I don’t necessarily agree 100% with what anyone tells me, but I’m listening,” Craig Manicki said. “If you’re a Democrat, a Republican, an Independent, to me it’s, ‘I’ll listen and maybe I’ll learn something. Maybe you’ll learn something from me, too.’”
He said that his neighbors on the island have a diverse viewpoint when it comes to politics, but he was disappointed when people left the town hall early.
“Just listen to her and maybe you can form an opinion, but you have to listen to all of it,” he said. “You just can’t pick and choose. ... Stay and listen.”
Isabella Douglas contributed to this story.
This story was originally published April 24, 2025 at 10:02 AM.
