Navy Admiral Fired by Pete Hegseth Wins Nancy Mace’s Former Congressional Seat

Democrat Nancy Lacore, a retired three-star Navy admiral who was removed from her military leadership position by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, has won South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District after Republican Jenny Costa Honeycutt conceded the race, flipping a seat previously held by Republican Nancy Mace.

Honeycutt’s campaign emailed Lacore early Wednesday morning to concede and congratulate her, according to The Post and Courier. Hours earlier, at 2:17 a.m., Honeycutt thanked her supporters on social media, writing, “This campaign has never been about me. It has always been about the Lowcountry.”

According to the latest count from the South Carolina Election Commission, Lacore leads by 3,308 votes out of 326,012 ballots cast. The Associated Press has Lacore at 49.65 percent to Honeycutt’s 48.64 percent, though the AP had not officially called the race as of Wednesday. Libertarian Bill Reeside received 5,346 votes, more than the margin between the two major party candidates.

Lacore claimed victory at a press conference Wednesday afternoon. “We knew it was going to be a tough race so this isn’t unexpected for us, we’ve been fighting since day one,” she said, adding that she looks forward to working with Honeycutt and everyone across the Lowcountry.

The flip is significant for Democrats because South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District has been a Republican stronghold for much of the past several decades. The district includes parts of Charleston and the state’s coastal Lowcountry region.

Mace, who represented the district beginning in 2021, won reelection in 2024 by a wide margin. She chose not to seek another House term in 2026, instead running for South Carolina governor.

Her departure created an open-seat contest that became increasingly competitive as the midterm elections approached. Democrats viewed the coastal district as an opportunity to expand their representation in Congress.

Lacore entered politics after a 35-year career in the United States Navy. She began her military service as a helicopter pilot and eventually rose to vice admiral, serving as chief of the Navy Reserve.

Her military career came to an unexpected end in 2025 when Hegseth removed her from the Navy Reserve’s top leadership position. Lacore has said she was given no explanation for the decision. Her removal attracted national attention and became part of her campaign as she sought to transition from military service to elected office.

Rather than ending her public service career, Lacore decided to run for Congress as a Democrat. She campaigned on lowering costs for working families, protecting veterans’ benefits, strengthening government accountability and addressing concerns affecting South Carolina’s coastal communities.

Her campaign also emphasized working across party lines, an approach aimed at appealing to independent voters and Republicans dissatisfied with Washington politics. In a district with a substantial Republican voting history, attracting support beyond the Democratic base was important.

Lacore faced Honeycutt, an attorney and Charleston County councilwoman who won the Republican nomination after a competitive primary runoff. Honeycutt campaigned on conservative priorities while seeking to establish her own identity separate from Mace.

South Carolina’s 1st District has changed political hands before. Democrat Joe Cunningham won the seat in 2018, becoming the first Democrat in decades to represent the district. Mace defeated Cunningham in 2020 and held the seat through three consecutive elections.

Following the 2020 census, South Carolina lawmakers redrew congressional boundaries in ways that strengthened the district’s Republican voting advantage. That history makes Lacore’s victory particularly notable.

The results remain unofficial until the state Board of Canvassers certifies them on Friday. The margin of roughly 1 percent appears to sit just outside the threshold that triggers an automatic recount under South Carolina law, and with Honeycutt conceding, Lacore is on track to be sworn in as the district’s next representative.

Lacore’s win comes as Democrats make gains in the 2026 midterm elections and prepare for a new balance of power in Washington. Her campaign illustrates how a competitive candidate and changing voter preferences can put traditionally Republican districts into play.

For Lacore, the election marks a transition from senior military leadership to a seat in the United States House of Representatives. Once results are certified, she will represent a district previously held by one of the Republican Party’s most recognizable members of Congress.

It also means that a former Navy admiral removed from her position under the Trump administration will enter Congress as a Democrat representing a district that voted Republican by a wide margin in the previous election.

Dee Dee Henderson

Dee Dee Henderson is a Poli Alert journalist covering national politics, elections and the policies that hit closest to home for Black communities, from voting rights and the economy to the courts. She reports the facts first and isn't afraid to say what they mean, and her commentary pieces are clearly labeled as opinion. Her midterm coverage breaks down deadlines, ballot measures and the races that will decide who holds power in Washington.

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