CHARLESTON, S.C.
U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-Daniel Island, got engaged over the weekend, saying “yes” to Charleston software entrepreneur Patrick Bryant after several years of dating.
The surprise marriage proposal came after a lot of planning, according to a Facebook post by Mace’s future husband. At the time, Mace thought she was knocking doors and getting b-roll footage for a future campaign ad.
Instead, Mace found herself saying, “oh my God,” as Byrant got down on one knee and asked, “Will you spend the rest of your life with me?”
The moment was caught on video and posted Monday morning to Mace’s campaign accounts on social media.
In the video of the proposal, Mace appears to be in shock when she see her beau at the door. The South Carolina congresswoman continues to say, “oh my God” multiple times before asking him, “Are you serious?”
She then rushes over to kiss him, and can be heard — still in shock — saying, “oh my God” through one of the kisses. Bryant lets out a laugh as the couple breaks apart and Mace absorbs what is happening.
“I literally thought I was shooting b-roll, and I’m not!” Mace said.
Bryant smiled as Mace held out her left hand for him to slide the engagement ring on her finger, but he first asked for confirmation.
“You say yes?” he asks.
“Yes,” Mace replies.
After they walked into the Sullivan’s Island house, Mace gave Bryant a kiss on the cheek and said, “I love you.”
Mace, the first Republican woman ever elected to Congress from South Carolina, shared the news of her engagement Monday. It comes in the middle of a fierce Republican primary contest, where two GOP candidates are challenging Mace for the Republican Party’s nomination in South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District.
This will be Mace’s third marriage.
She was most recently married to Curtis Jackson, but the couple divorced in 2019 after 15 years of marriage. They have two school-aged children together, Elli and Myles, and remain on good terms.
Bryant is a familiar face in Charleston’s startup scene as a serial entrepreneur who has invested in and started multiple software firms in the area. He also helped found the nonprofit Harbor Entrepreneur Center, where he is a board chairman. Bryant also currently serves as a trustee at Trident Technical College.
He founded his first company, Go To Team, 25 years ago. According to his LinkedIn page, Bryant’s latest venture is serving as the co-founder of CODE/+/TRUST, a Charleston-based software firm.
Bryant has not been a fixture on the campaign trail as Mace runs for reelection, but he has been a quiet supporter of her political aspirations. On election night 2020, Bryant posted a photo of Mace and wrote an encouraging post that said, in part, “You’ve won. Regardless of the outcome, you have proven success is not an accident.”
Her next political challenge is the June 14 Republican primary.
This story was originally published May 16, 2022 1:40 PM.
