Navy admiral fired by Hegseth flips Mace’s South Carolina seat
Lacore led by 3,308 votes as election workers rescanned more than 5,000 ballots after a Dorchester County machine error, officials said.
- On Wednesday, retired Navy Admiral Nancy Lacore declared victory in South Carolina's 1st Congressional District, leading Republican Jenny Costa Honeycutt by 3,308 votes and flipping a seat previously held by Representative Nancy Mace.
- After Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired her as Chief of Navy Reserve in 2025, Lacore campaigned on her military service and criticized Hegseth's Pentagon management, which resonated with voters in the district.
- Technical issues in Dorchester County forced election workers to rescan over 5,000 ballots, delaying results into Wednesday morning. Lacore led with 49.65% to Honeycutt's 48.64%, a margin just outside the state's mandatory recount threshold.
- Honeycutt conceded the race Wednesday, and outgoing Representative Nancy Mace congratulated Lacore as congresswoman-elect. Mace promised a smooth transition, stating her office will assist constituents until January.
- The victory shifts a district Donald Trump carried by 13 percentage points in 2024, part of a broader Democratic wave that flipped over 32 House seats nationwide during the midterms.
31 Articles
31 Articles
Democrat Nancy Lacore leads Republican Jenny Costa Honeycutt in traditionally conservative 1st Congressional District, with opponent conceding race
Nancy Lacore, Admiral Fired by Pete Hegseth, Projected to Flip GOP Seat
Ex-Navy Admiral Flips House Seat After Being Fired By Hegseth
Ex-Navy Admiral Nancy Lacore flipped a South Carolina House seat after being fired by Pete Hegseth. The three-star admiral was let go without cause, but Lacore channeled her experience into a congressional seat. In an October 2026 New York Times interview, Lacore said she decided to run for office after witnessing toxic leadership at the Pentagon under Hegseth. “I had a front-row seat to the dysfunction of D.C. National security is now a talking…
Pete Hegseth's Former Navy Vice Admiral Claims Victory in Congress Race After Being Fired From Military Post
Former US Navy vice admiral Nancy Lacore has claimed victory in South Carolina's 1st Congressional District after narrowly leading Republican Jenny Costa Honeycutt in unofficial results.
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