Nancy Lacore Projected to Flip GOP Seat in South Carolina’s 1st District
Nancy Lacore, a former Navy admiral fired by Pete Hegseth, is projected to flip South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District from Republican to Democrat.
U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Shepard Fosdyke Jackson/Wikimedia Commons
Democrat Nancy Lacore, a retired Navy admiral removed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, is projected to win South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, flipping a seat President Donald Trump won comfortably in 2024. Decision Desk HQ reported Lacore leading Republican Jenny Costa Honeycutt by over 3,300 votes in the race for the seat vacated by Republican Nancy Mace.
Projected Victory in a Republican Stronghold
According to unofficial results, Lacore held 49.65 percent of the vote compared to Honeycutt’s 48.64 percent. The Associated Press had not officially called the race as of Wednesday afternoon. Honeycutt’s campaign reached out to Lacore to concede the contest, and Honeycutt thanked her supporters while affirming her commitment to her community.
Lacore expressed gratitude and optimism in a statement to WSAV, saying, “The voters of the Lowcountry have spoken, and they’ve made their choice clear. I’m honored to be the next Congresswoman from South Carolina’s First Congressional District.” She added that change would require ongoing work, but pledged to serve with integrity and results.
From Navy Leadership to Political Breakthrough
Lacore’s victory marks a dramatic political turnaround. She was removed as chief of the Navy Reserve by Secretary Hegseth in August 2025, ending her 35-year military career. The decision was made without a public explanation and was part of several senior military dismissals during Hegseth’s tenure.
During her campaign, Lacore framed her military experience as central to her qualifications and positioned Hegseth’s leadership as a key issue. She criticized the injection of politics and religion into the defense forces and condemned Hegseth’s handling of the Pentagon and the war in Iran.
“People are just concerned about the injection of politics and religion into the military,” she told USA Today before the election. “People who know the military know there is no place for either of those. It weakens the fabric that makes our military strong.” Her military background and national security expertise resonated in a district that has traditionally favored Republicans.
Political Significance and Campaign Dynamics
The 1st Congressional District has been a Republican stronghold, carried by Trump by 13 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election. Nancy Mace represented the district since 2021 but chose to run unsuccessfully for governor this year. The district had also been redrawn to favor Republicans.
The race tightened as Lacore outraised Honeycutt substantially, with campaign finance reports showing Lacore raised about $4.8 million compared to Honeycutt’s just under $1.3 million. Lacore first secured the Democratic nomination by defeating Coast Guard veteran Mac Deford in a runoff.
Mace congratulated Lacore on Wednesday, calling her “Congresswoman-elect” and committing her office to assist with a smooth transition. Lacore’s projected win returns the seat to Democratic control despite the district’s recent Republican leanings.
Implications for Pete Hegseth and the Pentagon
Lacore’s victory presents a continuing political challenge for Defense Secretary Hegseth. The admiral he dismissed is poised to enter Congress with a platform to further question his Pentagon leadership. Democrats have criticized Hegseth’s management of the military and the Iran war, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries stating a Democratic majority would “run Hegseth out of town.”
The race became a focal point of Democratic attacks on Hegseth, highlighting how Lacore won in deeply Republican territory after making his Pentagon stewardship a campaign issue. This win underscores the political risks Hegseth faces as the midterm elections shift the balance in some traditionally GOP districts.
Lacore’s projected victory not only flips a key congressional seat but also symbolizes a broader political rebuke of Pentagon leadership under Hegseth, signaling potential challenges ahead for the defense secretary and the Trump administration’s military policies.
