Nancy Lacore, a former Navy admiral who was fired by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, advanced to a Democratic primary runoff for South Carolina’s First Congressional District, according to The Associated Press. She will face Mac Deford, a Coast Guard veteran and former general counsel for Hilton Head Island, in the runoff scheduled for June 23.
The winner will then take on a difficult general election challenge in the fall against the Republican nominee for a seat now held by Representative Nancy Mace. Mace did not seek re-election and instead ran unsuccessfully for governor. The district, which covers South Carolina’s coast, was redrawn in 2021 to make it more favorable to Republicans. Mace had won her last two elections by double digits.
Lacore has entered the race with a higher profile than most political newcomers because of her military background and recent dismissal. She has said she was removed without explanation after serving 35 years in the Navy. Her firing came during a period when Hegseth was ousting military officials who had provided intelligence assessments that angered President Trump.
Her campaign has also been strong financially. Lacore raised $500,000 in her first two weeks as a candidate and had collected more than $1.4 million by late May, according to federal campaign finance records. That fundraising total has helped make her a serious contender in a district that Democrats would need to flip to gain ground in the House.
Lacore is also among a small group of Democratic House candidates nationwide this cycle backed by the Bench, a political network led by veteran Democratic strategists. The group recruits and advises candidates in both competitive districts and in races that are considered more difficult for Democrats to win.
The runoff will determine which Democrat has the chance to campaign in one of the party’s tougher House targets this year. South Carolina’s First District has become more firmly Republican after redistricting, and any Democrat hoping to win there will likely need to build a broad coalition, attract outside support, and overcome the district’s recent voting history.
For Lacore, the race combines her military service, recent ouster from the Navy, and unusually strong fundraising into a high-profile campaign that has already drawn attention beyond South Carolina. Deford’s background as a Coast Guard veteran and municipal lawyer gives Democrats another candidate with public service credentials as voters decide who will move on to the general election.
