Nancy Lacore, a retired Navy vice admiral, and Mac Deford, a local attorney, advanced to a runoff election on Tuesday evening in a Democratic primary to fill the congressional vacancy left by Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C. Since no candidate received more than 50% of the vote, a runoff is scheduled for June 23. The winner will aim to become the second Democrat to represent South Carolina's 1st Congressional District in over 40 years, emphasizing Lacore's military background and her dismissal by War Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The vacancy arose when Mace announced her candidacy for governor of South Carolina. Mace has been noted for her willingness to diverge from party lines on significant issues, including her vote to remove former U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in 2023. Mace expressed her intent to continue her independent political approach as governor.
Lacore, who served as a Navy pilot and retired as a three-star admiral, was removed from her position by Hegseth, which she described as "without cause." Her dismissal coincided with other high-level personnel changes in the Department of Defense under the Trump administration. Lacore has raised $1.4 million for her campaign.
Deford, who has served as the Associate General Counsel for the Town of Mount Pleasant, presented himself as a pragmatic candidate and raised $547,800 for his campaign. He emphasized his commitment to serving the community as a representative in Washington.