The key facts

  • Nancy Lacore, dismissed by Hegseth in August 2025 from the post of 16th Chief of Navy Reserve, declared victory in South Carolina's 1st congressional district.
  • According to Anadolu, the Democratic victory allowed the party to reach the threshold of 218 seats for a majority in the House of Representatives.
  • Lacore is set to replace Republican Nancy Mace, who left the seat for an unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign.

Victory in a conservative district

Democratic candidate Nancy Lacore, a retired US Navy vice admiral, declared victory in the US House of Representatives election in South Carolina's 1st congressional district, defeating Republican Jenny Costa Honeycutt in a traditionally conservative district. According to Anadolu, the victory was part of a broad advance by Democrats in the midterm elections, which, according to the outlet, allowed the party to reach the threshold of 218 seats needed to take back the House majority from the Republicans.

From dismissal to a mandate

Lacore served as the 16th Chief of Navy Reserve and ended her decades-long military career after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth removed her from command in August 2025 — roughly a year after her appointment. The dismissal was part of the leadership overhaul carried out by the secretary and stripped Lacore of control over Navy Reserve personnel, readiness training, and the integration of the reserve into active-duty operations. According to Anadolu, Lacore is set to replace Republican Nancy Mace, who vacated the seat to run for governor but was unsuccessful. The outlet also links the South Carolina result to the broader trend of Tuesday, when voters in a number of long-standing conservative strongholds ousted incumbent Republicans in congressional and gubernatorial races.