Navy Admiral Fired By War Secretary Pete Hegseth Wins Congressional Primary

Nancy Lacore, a former Navy admiral who was fired by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, won the Democratic primary for South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District.

Lacore will face Republican Jenny Honeycutt in the general election.

Nancy Lacore, who was fired by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, won a Democratic House primary in South Carolina. https://t.co/s3sLeji4fY

— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 24, 2026

The Hill shared further:

Lacore, a three-star admiral whom Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired last year, defeated Mac Deford, a U.S. Coast Guard veteran and former general counsel of Hilton Head Island, S.C., in the Democratic runoff.

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Honeycutt, a member of the Charleston County Council since 2018, defeated state Rep. Mark Smith (S.C.) in the GOP runoff.

Lacore and Honeycutt will square off in the race to succeed Rep. Nancy Mace (S.C.) in the House. Mace came up short in her bid for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in the Palmetto State earlier this month.

The incumbent lawmaker has represented the district, which stretches along the southeastern coast of South Carolina, since January 2021. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report shifted the seat from solidly to likely Republican last week, but Honeycutt remains the favorite in the conservative-leaning district.

“SC-01, I am so proud to be your Democratic nominee. The real fight starts now,” Lacore said on Wednesday.

SC-01, I am so proud to be your Democratic nominee. The real fight starts now.

If you’re ready to get behind this team, you can here: https://t.co/dJjKaE5iGr pic.twitter.com/AaA8kf7IlQ

— Nancy Lacore (@nancylacore) June 24, 2026

Although the district leans conservative, House Majority PAC, the main House Democratic super PAC, has reserved over $2 million for the contest.

The Democratic Party hopes her military background will provide a boost in the general election.

“Congrats on the win, @NancyLacore! Nancy Lacore has spent her life serving her country and community. During her 30-plus-year career in the U.S. Navy, Nancy rose from helicopter pilot to three-star admiral and Chief of Navy Reserve, demonstrating the hard work, discipline, and leadership that earn trust and deliver results. Nancy will fight to protect South Carolina’s coast, lower insurance costs, and raise wages to make life better for South Carolinians,” the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) stated.

“Nancy Lacore is a proven leader who has spent her life answering the call to serve and that’s why #SC01 voters will send Nancy to congress to fight for them,” it added.

Congrats on the win, @NancyLacore! Nancy Lacore has spent her life serving her country and community. During her 30-plus-year career in the U.S. Navy, Nancy rose from helicopter pilot to three-star admiral and Chief of Navy Reserve, demonstrating the hard work, discipline, and…

— DCCC (@dccc) June 24, 2026

More from the New York Times:

Ms. Lacore has a higher-than-average profile for a political newcomer. Last August, Mr. Hegseth fired her after 35 years in the Navy. She has said she was given no cause for the firing, which came at a time when Mr. Hegseth was removing military officials who had delivered intelligence assessments that angered President Trump.

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Her national profile has helped her become a successful fund-raiser. She raised $500,000 in her first two weeks as a candidate and raised more than $1.6 million through late June, according to federal campaign finance records.

She also has the backing of several outside groups. VoteVets, the liberal political action committee known for supporting veterans running for office, spent about $100,000 on ads supporting Ms. Lacore during the primary.

The Bench, a group led by longtime Democratic strategists that recruits and advises candidates in both traditional battleground districts and contests that are seen as harder to win, spent about $65,000 in support of Ms. Lacore during the primary. Both are indications that the well-funded groups may continue to back Ms. Lacore in the general election.

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