Retired Navy Rear Adm. Nancy Lacore has won the Democratic nomination in South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, setting up a November race for a Republican-held House seat that Democrats hope to make competitive.
Lacore defeated Mac Deford, a U.S. Coast Guard veteran, in Tuesday’s Democratic runoff. Her victory gives Democrats a nominee with a military background and a national profile tied to her removal from a senior Navy role during Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s reshaping of military leadership.
Lacore was among a group of senior military officials removed during Hegseth’s broader purge of officers viewed as out of step with the Trump administration’s priorities or the defense secretary’s vision for the armed forces. Her supporters have framed her campaign as a response to what they see as politicized treatment of military leadership.
The race now moves to the general election, where Lacore will face Republican nominee Jenny Costa Honeycutt, a member of the Charleston County Council. Honeycutt secured the GOP nomination on Tuesday.
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The district is currently represented by Republican Rep. Nancy Mace, who chose not to seek re-election while pursuing a bid for South Carolina governor. That decision opened the seat and created a new opportunity for both parties in a coastal district that includes Charleston-area voters.
Republicans remain favored in the district, but Democrats see Lacore as a potentially strong candidate because of her military service, fundraising and support from outside groups. She has been backed by several veterans’ organizations as well as EMILYs List, which supports Democratic women candidates who favor abortion rights.
Lacore also drew attention for her early fundraising. She reportedly raised about $500,000 in her first two weeks as a candidate and more than $1.4 million by late May, signaling that national Democratic donors and strategists are watching the race closely.
Her campaign is also being supported by The Bench, a Democratic strategy group that works with candidates running in difficult districts. That backing suggests Democrats view the seat as challenging but potentially worth contesting in a year when control of the House could come down to a narrow margin.
The race is expected to highlight several national themes, including military leadership, abortion rights, Trump-era politics and the role of women veterans in Democratic campaigns. Lacore’s removal from military leadership could also become a central part of her message as she argues that public service should be protected from political pressure.
Republicans are likely to counter by tying Lacore to national Democrats and arguing that South Carolina’s 1st District should remain in GOP hands. Honeycutt is expected to campaign on local issues, conservative priorities and continuity after Mace’s departure.
The contest could also test whether Democrats can make gains in districts that are not traditionally easy targets but may be affected by candidate quality, suburban voters and dissatisfaction with national politics.
For Lacore, the primary win marks a rapid political rise after a high-profile military exit. For Democrats, it gives the party another veteran candidate in a competitive midterm map. For Republicans, the race becomes a test of whether they can hold an open seat without Mace on the ballot.
Why It Matters
The race matters because it connects a local House contest with national debates over military leadership and the Trump administration’s influence over federal institutions. Lacore’s victory gives Democrats a candidate who can campaign on service and accountability, while Republicans will try to defend a seat they have strong reasons to expect they can hold.
What Comes Next
Lacore and Honeycutt will now shift to the November general election. National groups may decide how much money and attention to invest in the race as both parties assess whether South Carolina’s 1st District is truly competitive or remains safely Republican.
