Mace says abortion is why Republicans didn’t get a larger House majority

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) said she thinks abortion is the reason why Republicans did not pick up a larger majority in the House, urging lawmakers to find middle ground on the issue.

“It’s the reason we didn’t get more of a majority,” Mace said to Chuck Todd on NBC’s “Meet The Press” on Sunday. “We should have had a dozen or two dozen seat majority this legislative session but we don’t because this is one of the issues that was top of mind for swing voters.”

Mace has voiced her opposition to the GOP response to the striking down of Roe v. Wade last year. While Republicans in the House have prioritized a number of bills targeting abortion restriction in their new majority, Mace has criticized her colleagues as “tone deaf.”

Mace said Republicans and Democrats needed to find a way to compromise on abortion, saying that even though she is pro-life, she is trying to engage lawmakers in dialogue about a middle ground.

“I’m here waving my hand, being a very vocal person on this, saying: ‘I’m pro-life, but I’m willing to sit down and talk about how do we balance the rights of women and the right to life?’” Mace said. 

Mace said she has seen the impact of the majority opinion on abortion in her district, a relatively purple district in South Carolina, saying in polling and town halls she has found that it is a top issue for voters.

“The vast majority of people in my district don’t like what happened after Roe was overturned, they support the women’s right to choose generally,” Mace said. “The folks in my district… are willing to find some middle ground here.”