South Carolina House Republican Nancy Mace spoke at a private Delaware GOP event in Newark Friday following controversy with Congresswoman Sarah McBride.
Mace filed a bill in November that would ban transgender women from using facilities on federal property that do not correspond with the sex assigned at birth.
She has been publicly clear that the bill targets Delaware’s lone Congresswoman Sarah McBride, who became the first openly transgender member of Congress with her 2024 victory.
Mace had initially pushed for the bill's language to be included in the U.S. House rules package, but House Speaker Mike Johnson opted to implement the rule in his policies for the 119th Congress.
The Jan. 3 Congressional Record reads: "All single-sex facilities — such as restrooms, changing rooms, and locker rooms — are reserved for individuals of that biological sex. This policy will be enforced by the Sergeantat-Arms. It is important to note that each Member office has its own private restroom, and unisex restrooms are available throughout the Capitol."
At Friday's event, Mace told members of the press she intends to re-file a bill that would continue pushing for a similar ban in all federal buildings.
Mace was invited by Delaware GOP Chair Julianne Murray to speak on “women’s safety and privacy, emphasizing the need for protective measures in all aspects of women's lives."
Murray said the event has a broader scope than the recent transgender bathroom ban controversy.
"I know that people have tried to turn this into a whole— something that it's not. This is about protecting women and the sanctity of women in women's spaces. This is not a bathroom issue. I know that everybody wants to make it that, but it is so much more than that, and I, as a woman, as a state party chair and as a Republican, am so thankful for the advocacy of this woman and what she is— the heat that she is taking, in my view, unjustifiably so," Murray said at a press conference preceding the event.
Although when asked why Mace wanted to speak in Delaware specifically, she did not hesitate to mention the First State's lone Congressional member by name.
“[We're here] because the Delaware GOP invited us, and yes, because it's in Sarah McBride's backyard, it's just icing on the cake. And I'm happy to be here to fight for women's rights," Mace said.
When asked if she has interacted with McBride, Mace said, "No, I have not, and I have no interest in it either."
The event was closed to the press — a decision that Murray said came in an effort to "control the environment" — but Mace offered a full copy of her speech to members of the press.
While her remarks do not mention McBride by name or the transgender bathroom bill directly, Mace spoke against the usage of pronouns, those who identify outside of the normative gender binary and allowing transgender women to compete in women's sports.
During the height of the controversy in November, McBride took to social media to say Mace's bill is "an effort to distract from real issues facing this country," but that she would "follow the rules as outlined by Speaker Johnson, even if [she] disagree[s] with them."
A small group of protestors gathered on the street outside the event before being asked by state police to move to a nearby gas station for trespassing on private property.
One of the protestors, Cynthia Johnson, who helped organize the opposition, said she felt inclined to speak out for her nonbinary child who also faces challenges when trying to use the restroom they are comfortable with.
“I think this is bigger than our representative Sarah McBride. I'm not here because of her. I'm here because of my kid. I'm here because of other trans youth and trans adults who do not feel safe when there is rhetoric like what Nancy Mace is spewing forth from her position of power," Johnson said.
She also mentioned that she had left a message with the Executive Banquet & Conference Center where the event was being held, expressing her "disgust and dismay."
Johnson said she received a reply from the center's scheduling person who said they do not question the programming or people who book the venue.
Laird, another one of the protestors, identifies as a Republican but says two of his children's partners are transgender, and he feels Mace's rhetoric is an "attack on his family."
The New Castle Democratic Party released a statement condemning the Delaware GOP's decision to invite Mace: "Today, Delaware Republicans welcome hate to our state. And very soon, they will welcome a man found liable for sexual abuse to the White House, a man who has bragged about sauntering into women’s dressing rooms and suggested he could assault them there, who like all sex offenders faces no restrictions on public bathroom use. And they welcome — and initiate — attacks on our personal freedoms while espousing the ability to 'share insights' on defending them," the statement read.
"While those elected under their banner may pose as moderate during campaign season and clamor for bipartisanship in Legislative Hall, this is who they really are. We do not forget that GOP officials like Mike Smith and Kevin Hensley spoke so fondly of State Senator Sarah McBride as they faced their own elections, nor will we forget what they permit to be said about her now that she is a Congresswoman. Not only does the GOP not defend a Delawarean they have called a friend, they invite that bully into our borders. They should be ashamed."
In response to an inquiry about McBride's thoughts on the event, a spokesperson for McBride says the congresswoman is attending a bipartisan meeting with her colleagues from the House this weekend.
Additionally, McBride introduced the Ending Scam Credit Repair Act on Friday, becoming the first freshman Democrat to introduce a piece of legislation in the 119th Congress.
The bill was introduced bipartisanly with California Republican Congresswoman Young Kim in an effort to crack down on fraudulent practices in the credit repair industry.
Prior to the event, Murray also announced Republican Donyale Hall would be running again against McBride in 2026 for the state's At-Large Congressional District.
Hall ran in the 2024 primary election as the Delaware GOP-endorsed candidate, but lost to former police officer John Whalen with only 44% of the vote.
Whalen ultimately lost to McBride in the General Election, garnering 42% of the vote.
