Democrat Nancy Lacore, a retired Navy vice admiral, is projected to win the race for South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District against Republican Jenny Costa Honeycutt. According to Decision Desk HQ, Lacore secured just under 50 percent of the vote compared to Honeycutt’s 48 percent, with all votes tallied as of early Wednesday morning. The seat was vacated by Rep. Nancy Mace (R), who did not seek reelection to the House but instead ran an unsuccessful campaign for governor earlier this year.
The 1st District was redrawn by state legislators after the 2020 census to favor Republican candidates, a move that shifted several Democratic-leaning precincts into the neighboring 6th District. Despite this redistricting, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report moved the race from "lean Republican" to a "toss-up" during the cycle. Lacore, a political newcomer, entered the race after being removed from her position as chief of the Navy Reserve by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a move for which the Trump administration provided no official reason.
During the campaign, Lacore criticized Hegseth’s management of the Pentagon and linked rising inflation to President Trump’s tariffs and the ongoing war in Iran. Honeycutt, a member of the Charleston County Council, focused her platform on reducing government spending and the national debt while criticizing Lacore for only recently moving to South Carolina. Financial reports filed with the Federal Election Commission through October 14 showed Lacore raised more than $4.8 million, significantly out-funding Honeycutt’s $1.3 million.
For the roughly 59,000 Navy sailors formerly under Lacore’s command and the general electorate, the win represents a shift in a district President Trump won by 13 percentage points in 2024. Voters in the district, who saw Rep. Mace win by nearly 17 points just two years prior, will now see a change in their federal representation. The result indicates a shift in political alignment for the coastal region despite legislative efforts to maintain a Republican majority through redistricting.
The outcome contributes to a broader change in the composition of the U.S. House of Representatives, where Democrats have seized control from Republicans. This win establishes a precedent for candidates using military backgrounds and criticism of Defense Department leadership to contest districts previously considered safe for the opposing party. A final certification will follow the mandatory recount process, though a specific date for the recount completion was not reported.