A retired Navy admiral whose dismissal during Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s restructuring of senior military leadership became a focal point of her campaign has advanced to a Democratic runoff in South Carolina’s open 1st Congressional District.
Nancy Lacore, a retired three-star admiral and former chief of the Navy Reserve, finished among the top vote-getters in Tuesday’s Democratic primary. Because no candidate secured a majority, she will face Coast Guard veteran and attorney Mac Deford in a June 23 runoff to determine the party’s nominee.
The winner will advance to the November general election to compete for the seat being vacated by Rep. Nancy Mace, who chose not to seek reelection while pursuing an unsuccessful bid for governor.
Pentagon firing became a campaign issue
Lacore spent 35 years in the Navy and was serving as head of the Navy Reserve when she was removed from her position in August 2025 during Hegseth’s broader overhaul of senior military leadership.
What could have been the end of her public service career instead became the foundation of her congressional campaign.
Since entering the race, Lacore has argued that her dismissal reinforced her commitment to continue serving the country. Democrats and several veterans groups have embraced her candidacy, portraying her removal as part of a politically motivated effort to reshape Pentagon leadership.
The issue helped elevate her profile well beyond South Carolina. By late May, Lacore had raised more than $1.4 million, making her one of the strongest Democratic fundraisers in a competitive House race this cycle. She has also secured support from veterans organizations, Emily’s List and Democratic recruitment groups focused on challenging Republican-held districts.
Runoff pits veteran against veteran
Lacore’s next challenge comes from another candidate with military credentials.
Deford, a Coast Guard veteran and former general counsel for Hilton Head Island, emerged from a crowded Democratic field to claim a spot in the runoff. The June 23 contest will determine which veteran earns the opportunity to take on the Republican nominee in the fall.
Both candidates have emphasized service and leadership, but Lacore enters the runoff with significantly greater fundraising resources and national attention.
Republicans still hold the advantage
Despite Democratic optimism, South Carolina’s 1st District remains difficult terrain for the party.
The coastal district has favored Republicans in most elections over the past four decades. Democrats briefly captured the seat in 2018 before Republicans reclaimed it two years later and have held it ever since.
The open-seat race became possible after Mace’s gubernatorial campaign collapsed Tuesday night. The congresswoman finished fifth in the Republican primary, ending a bid that once drew significant national attention.
On the Republican side, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Attorney General Alan Wilson advanced to a June 23 runoff to determine the GOP nominee for governor.
Democrats test a new playbook
For Democrats, Lacore’s candidacy represents more than a local congressional race.
Party strategists view her military résumé, fundraising network, and national profile as a test case for whether a veteran candidate can make inroads in a district that typically leans Republican. Her supporters argue that military service and an outsider message could appeal to independent voters along South Carolina’s coast.
Whether that formula is enough to put the district in play remains an open question.
Republicans still enter the general election as favorites. But Lacore’s advancement ensures that one of the more closely watched House races in the South will feature a candidate whose firing from the Pentagon became the catalyst for a second career in public service.
This article originally appeared on Election Watch News. It is republished with permission.
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