Congresswoman praised for leadership on animal protection, public safety, taxpayer accountability, and humane reform
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Animal Wellness Action, a national policy and political organization dedicated to strengthening and advancing legal protections for animals, today announced its endorsement of Congresswoman Nancy Mace in the Republican primary for Governor of South Carolina, scheduled for June 9, 2026.
Animal Wellness Action offered an unqualified endorsement, citing Mace’s record since her election to Congress in 2021 as one of the most consistent, courageous, and effective animal welfare records in the U.S. House of Representatives. The organization highlighted her leadership on animal protection, public safety, taxpayer accountability, humane science reform, and states’ rights.
“Nancy Mace is one of the strongest and most effective animal protection leaders in American public life,” said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action. “She has consistently demonstrated moral clarity, political courage, and a willingness to challenge entrenched interests and broken systems that harm animals, taxpayers, farmers, and families.”
Animal Wellness Action praised Mace’s leadership in reforming the National School Lunch Program through provisions incorporated into the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act from the Freedom in the School Cafeterias and Lunches (FISCAL) Act, legislation she co-authored with Reps. Troy Carter and Anna Paulina Luna. The reforms ended a rigid federal cow’s milk mandate that wasted an estimated $400 million annually while failing millions of lactose-intolerant children participating in the school lunch program.
“The cow’s milk mandate was an example of government waste and one-size-fits-all policymaking that simply wasn’t working for children or taxpayers,” Pacelle said. “Nancy Mace helped deliver a commonsense reform that gave families more choice while improving health outcomes for students.”
The organization also highlighted Mace’s leadership in modernizing federal drug testing requirements and ending outdated animal testing mandates. As an original cosponsor of the FDA Modernization Act of 2021, Mace helped lead the effort that culminated in passage of FDA Modernization Act 2.0, which removed the blanket federal requirement for animal testing in drug development and opened the door to more predictive, human-relevant methods.
Animal Wellness Action credited Mace with continuing that work in the 119th Congress by collaborating with the Trump Administration to reduce unnecessary beagle and primate testing, lower drug development costs, and accelerate the availability of lifesaving therapies.
The organization further commended Mace for exposing cruel and wasteful NIH-funded experiments on beagle puppies, leading to her introduction of the Preventing Animal Abuse and Waste (PAAW) Act. It also praised her leadership on Violet’s Law, H.R. 3246, which would allow animals used in federal research to be retired and rehomed rather than euthanized after experiments conclude.
During House consideration of the 2026 Farm Bill, Mace successfully led adoption of an amendment to include Violet’s Law language in the final House-passed Farm Bill — a landmark step toward ensuring animals used in federal laboratories have the opportunity for retirement and adoption after experimentation.
Animal Wellness Action also pointed to Mace’s strong public safety record, particularly her continued support and co-sponsorship of the FIGHT Act, H.R. 3946, legislation designed to strengthen federal laws against dogfighting and cockfighting operations linked to organized crime, illegal gambling, narcotics trafficking, and violence.
“Mace understands the connection between animal cruelty and broader criminal activity,” Pacelle said. “Her support for strengthening anti-animal fighting laws reflects a serious commitment to public safety and law enforcement.”
The organization noted that Mace has stood alongside the South Carolina Sheriffs’ Association in supporting stronger enforcement against animal fighting operations.
Beyond those efforts, Animal Wellness Action praised Mace for supporting a broad range of animal protection legislation, including the Puppy Protection Act to strengthen standards for commercial dog breeding facilities and the SAFE Act to permanently ban horse slaughter for human consumption in the United States.
The organization also recognized Mace’s leadership in opposing the federal Barred Owl Management Strategy, including her support for a bipartisan Congressional Review Act resolution to overturn the plan, which would authorize the killing of nearly 500,000 owls at an estimated taxpayer cost exceeding $1.3 billion.
Animal Wellness Action further praised Mace for standing up for family farmers, humane farming standards, and states’ rights by opposing both the EATS Act and the Save Our Bacon Act in the 118th and 119th Congresses. The organization said those measures would have undermined voter-approved animal welfare standards and benefited large foreign-owned agribusiness interests at the expense of American farmers and consumers.
The organization also specifically commended Mace for her vote during House consideration of the 2026 Farm Bill to oppose the Riley Moore amendment, which sought to carve out a special exemption for commercial greyhound racing in West Virginia and undermine national efforts to end the industry.
“Congresswoman Mace’s ‘No’ vote on the Riley Moore amendment helped defeat an anti-animal measure and preserve the Greyhound Protection Act provisions included in the House Farm Bill,” Pacelle said.
“Nancy Mace understands that protecting animals, defending taxpayers, supporting family farmers, and promoting public safety are deeply connected priorities,” Pacelle added. “We are confident she would bring the same independent, principled, and results-driven leadership to the governor’s office in South Carolina.”
Animal Wellness Action said it looks forward to supporting Mace’s campaign in the Republican primary for Governor of South Carolina.
The full endorsement letter for Rep. Mace may be viewed here.