Navy Admiral Lacore Advances to Democratic Runoff in South Carolina's 1st District
Retired Navy vice admiral Nancy Lacore and local attorney Mac Deford will compete in a June 23 runoff after no candidate won a majority in the June 9 Democratic primary for South Carolina's 1st Congressional District.
Fox NewsNancy Lacore, a retired Navy vice admiral, and Mac Deford, a local attorney, advanced from the Democratic primary for South Carolina's 1st Congressional District on June 9, 2026. No candidate received a majority, triggering a June 23 runoff, according to results reported by The Hill, The New York Times and Fox News.
Lacore, who served 35 years in the Navy and reached the rank of three-star vice admiral after beginning her career as a Navy pilot, was relieved of her duties on August 22, 2025. She was removed along with Lt. Gen. Kennedy Kruse and Rear Adm. Milton Sands in an action taken by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
Deford, who served as Associate General Counsel for the Town of Mount Pleasant, stated in his campaign video, “This isn’t a political stop for me.”
As of late May, Lacore had raised $4 million according to FEC records. Deford had raised $547,800 according to the same records. The seat became open after Rep. Nancy Mace announced she would run for governor of South Carolina rather than seek re-election.
Mace was one of eight Republicans who voted with Democrats to remove House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in 2023 and one of four GOP lawmakers who forced a vote on releasing the Epstein Files earlier in 2026.
South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District has been held by Republicans since 1981, except for the period 2019-2021 when it was held by Rep. Joe Cunningham. The district was drawn in 2021 to be more Republican, giving the eventual Democratic nominee an uphill battle in the fall.
