South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District has flipped to Democratic hands, delivering Republicans a major jolt. Retired Navy Vice Adm. Nancy Lacore defeated Republican Jenny Costa Honeycutt after an unusually tight count. The Associated Press called the race on Friday, two days after Election Day, as the final ballots were counted, while Honeycutt had already conceded. The seat opened when Republican Rep. Nancy Mace left Congress to make an unsuccessful bid for governor. Republicans had reclaimed the district in 2020, but Lacore’s win returns it to Democratic hands.
Every door you knocked. Every call you made. Every dollar you chipped in. Every conversation you had with a neighbor. This win belongs to you. I’m ready to get to work serving you, SC-01.
— Nancy Lacore (@nancylacore) November 6, 2026
A Razor-Thin Finish
The numbers explain why this race took so long to settle. Polling Desk reported Lacore with 162,103 votes, or 49.7%, compared with Honeycutt’s 158,751 votes, or 48.6%, with 99% of the expected vote counted. That left Lacore ahead by only 3,352 votes. Libertarian candidate Bill Reeside received more votes than the gap separating the two major-party candidates. A technical problem in Dorchester County also required thousands of ballots to be rescanned. Once those votes were included, Lacore’s lead stood outside South Carolina’s automatic recount threshold, moving the race toward its final call.
From Navy Command to Campaign Trail
Lacore brought a remarkable military record into the contest. She served 35 years in the Navy, rose to three-star rank and led the Navy Reserve, overseeing approximately 60,000 sailors. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth abruptly removed her from that post in August 2025, and no public reason was given. Lacore then moved from military command into electoral politics and ran as a Democrat after previously identifying as a Republican. Her path from Navy leadership to a congressional campaign made the upset far more consequential than a routine open-seat race.
The Republican Advantage Disappeared
President Trump carried the district by 13 points in 2024, while Mace won her own reelection that year by an even wider margin. Lacore’s coalition overcame that recent Republican advantage in a single cycle, drawing enough Democrats, independents and disaffected Republicans to win. That is the warning for the GOP: a strong Republican baseline is no substitute for earning every vote. Turnout, candidate quality and even a modest shift among persuadable voters can erase what looked like a safe advantage. Republicans may debate the causes, but a 3,352-vote loss cannot be waved away.
Honeycutt Concedes and Transition Begins
Honeycutt’s concession cleared the way for Lacore to claim the Lowcountry seat. Outgoing Rep. Nancy Mace congratulated her and promised her office would help ensure a smooth transition for constituents. Lacore will now head to Washington with a vote in Congress and a national spotlight on how she uses it. Her victory gives Democrats a rare foothold along South Carolina’s coast and places a decorated former Navy commander at the center of a district Republicans expected to hold.
Every door you knocked, every call you made, every sign you built, every mile you drove mattered. But what mattered most was that you believed. Thank you for fighting for this campaign. I’m ready to get to work serving you, SC-01. pic.twitter.com/WDIw4KvnNa
— Nancy Lacore (@nancylacore) November 6, 2026
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