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, defeating Republican Jenny Costa Honeycutt in a result that could give Democrats a seat previously held by Republicans. Her campaign followed her removal from a senior Navy position by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in August 2025.

Lacore declared victory on Wednesday, 4 November, saying Honeycutt's campaign had contacted her to concede. Outgoing Republican Representative Nancy Mace also congratulated her. However, the Associated Press had not called the race in its latest reports, and the result remained subject to the state's election process.

Unofficial results showed Lacore ahead by more than 3,300 votes, or 1.01 percentage points. The district includes Charleston and coastal Lowcountry communities, and Donald Trump carried it by 13 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election.

Lacore's 35-Year Navy Career

Lacore served in the US Navy for 35 years, beginning as a helicopter pilot before rising to vice admiral and becoming Chief of Navy Reserve. She took charge of the service in August 2024 and oversaw approximately 59,000 reserve personnel.

Her career included senior leadership assignments and work with Congress to secure resources for the Navy. She graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in 1990 and became a naval aviator in 1993, according to her official Navy biography.

Hegseth removed Lacore from her position on 22 August 2025, alongside another senior Navy officer who led Naval Special Warfare Command. The Navy confirmed the removals but did not publicly provide a reason.

When she announced her congressional campaign in January 2026, Lacore said she had been removed 'without cause' and still had more to contribute to public service. The Department of Defense did not immediately respond to a request for comment on her claim, according to ABC News.

A Close Race And Delayed Count

The election count was delayed by a technical problem in Dorchester County. Officials had to rescan approximately 5,500 ballots after a faulty memory stick affected a voting machine, according to county election director Kizzie Scott. She said all ballots had since been counted.

The resulting figures put Lacore just above South Carolina's automatic recount threshold. State law requires a recount when the margin is below one percentage point. With her lead reported at 1.01 percentage points, the race was narrowly outside that requirement, although the final result had not been certified.

Lacore said voters from Republican, Democratic and independent backgrounds had supported her campaign. She has also pointed to her experience working with lawmakers from both parties during her Navy career as preparation for serving in Congress.

Flipping Nancy Mace's seat

Mace congratulated LaCore on 4 November, describing her as the district's congresswoman-elect and wishing her success in the next chapter of public service. In a statement issued through her congressional office, Mace also said staff would work to ensure a smooth transition and continue assisting constituents until her final day in office.

The Republican party held the seat for nearly four decades before Democrat Joe Cunningham won it in 2018. Mace reclaimed it in 2020, and subsequent redistricting strengthened the Republican advantage.

If LaCore's victory is formally certified, she is expected to take office when the new Congress convenes in January 2027.