A retired Navy admiral removed from her post by Pete Hegseth this summer is projected to flip a Republican-held House seat in South Carolina, one of the more striking upsets of Tuesday night’s Democratic sweep.
Decision Desk HQ projected that Democrat Nancy Lacore will win South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District over Republican Jenny Costa Honeycutt. The Lowcountry seat was held by Republican Rep. Nancy Mace, who gave it up for an unsuccessful run for governor.
With 99% of the vote counted Wednesday morning, Lacore led by roughly 3,350 votes, or about 1 percentage point. The Associated Press had not called the race.
That margin matters. Under South Carolina law, a recount is required when the gap between candidates is 1% or less of the total vote, unless the losing candidate waives it in writing. Lacore’s campaign said Wednesday that updated totals from Dorchester County had pushed her lead outside automatic recount range.
“The voters of the Lowcountry have spoken,” Lacore said in a statement. She added that she was honored to be the district’s next congresswoman.
Lacore had already sounded confident Tuesday night, telling supporters she welcomed a recount to confirm the result.
Mace, who finished fifth in this year’s Republican primary for governor, congratulated Lacore on her win.
The result is a stunning turnaround in a district Trump carried by 13 points just two years ago. Mace won reelection there in 2024 with 58.2% of the vote.
Lacore spent 35 years in the Navy, completed two deployments and rose to the rank of vice admiral. As chief of the Navy Reserve, she oversaw more than 60,000 sailors. Hegseth ousted her in August.
On the campaign trail, she ran on what she called “financial freedom,” focusing on rising health care and housing costs. In her election night speech, she said the Lowcountry doesn’t need more political theater. She pledged to work with anyone serious about tackling those issues and cleaning up Congress. She also reached out to voters who backed her opponent, telling them she would represent them too.
Lacore is one of a record number of military veterans who ran for federal office this year. According to the veterans’ advocacy group With Honor, 752 veterans registered to run for the House and Senate in 2026, the most since the group began tracking in 2018.
South Carolina saw other surprises Tuesday night. Democrat Annie Andrew defeated Darline Graham, sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, in the U.S. Senate race by roughly 5 points. Republicans did hold the governor’s office, where Alan Wilson beat Democrat Jermaine Johnson by about 4 points.
Results become official once election officials certify them. County certification is completed by the Friday after the election, and the state election commission then meets to certify the results.
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