Former Navy Vice Adm. Nancy Lacore is claiming victory in a congressional race after being removed from her military position by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in 2025.
Lacore, a Democrat, defeated Republican candidate Jenny Costa Honeycutt in the race for South Carolina's 1st Congressional District, a seat previously held by Republican Nancy Mace.
The result marks a major political turnaround for Lacore, who spent 35 years in the Navy before her removal from her position as chief of the Navy Reserve.
Hegseth removed her in August 2025 as part of a broader shake-up involving senior military leaders. No public explanation was given for her removal at the time.
After leaving the military, Lacore entered politics and launched her campaign for Congress. She made her military career and criticism of the Pentagon's leadership central parts of her campaign.
Her opponent, Honeycutt, was a Republican candidate backed by President Donald Trump. However, Lacore managed to build support across party lines in a district Trump had carried by 13 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election.
Following the election, Honeycutt's campaign conceded, and Lacore announced her victory. Former congresswoman Nancy Mace also congratulated her.
Lacore said voters from different political backgrounds had come together because they wanted better representation in Washington.
The Associated Press had not officially called the race at the time of the initial reports, but Lacore's lead had grown beyond the threshold for an automatic recount.
Her transition from a senior Navy commander to a congressional representative-elect marks an unusual political journey, particularly after the circumstances surrounding her departure from military service.