Nancy Lacore, a three-star navy rear-admiral who was fired by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last year during his purge of senior military officials, has advanced to a Democratic run-off in a closely-watched congressional race in South Carolina.
Background on Lacore's Candidacy
Lacore, who served 35 years in the navy, was chief of the navy reserve when she was ousted by Hegseth in August. She will now compete in a 23 June run-off against Mac Deford, a U.S. Coast Guard veteran, for the Democratic nomination in South Carolina's first congressional district. The seat is currently held by Republican Nancy Mace, who chose not to seek reelection after her failed gubernatorial campaign.
Challenges Ahead
The eventual Democratic candidate faces an uphill battle in a district that Mace won by double digits in the last two elections. Despite this, Lacore has garnered significant support, including endorsements from several veterans' groups and Emily's List, an organization that backs Democratic pro-choice candidates. She raised $500,000 in her first two weeks as a candidate and over $1.4 million through late May, according to a New York Times analysis of federal campaign finance records.
Lacore's Firing and Context
Lacore was among dozens of officers dismissed during Hegseth's ongoing elimination of senior military personnel deemed to have crossed the Trump administration or who do not align with the defense secretary's vision for the armed forces. In a recent move, Hegseth removed all women and several Black nominees from a navy promotion list without explanation, resulting in an all-male, overwhelmingly white slate.
Lacore lost her job on the same day Hegseth fired Lt Gen Jeffrey Kruse, head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, for writing a preliminary analysis of U.S. military strikes on Iran in June 2025. The analysis concluded that the strikes had only set back Iran's nuclear program by a few months, contradicting Trump's claim that the action "obliterated" the country's nuclear sites. Hegseth publicly criticized the media for reporting on the leaked document.
No official explanation was provided for Lacore's dismissal or for the firing of other military leaders, including Gen Tim Haugh, head of the National Security Agency, and Vice Adm Shoshana Chatfield, a senior NATO official. Under Hegseth's leadership, the military has eliminated diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and numerous officers perceived as too "woke" have been let go.
In a speech in Virginia in September, Hegseth stated, "For too long, we've promoted too many uniform leaders for the wrong reasons – based on their race, based on gender quotas, based on historic so-called firsts. The sooner we have the right people, the sooner we can advance the right policies."
Lacore's Campaign Message
At her campaign launch in January, Lacore emphasized her continued commitment to public service. "I still have more to give, more to fight for, more work to do – and I am not done serving," she wrote on X. She is also one of 12 House candidates backed by the Bench, a Democratic strategy group that advises candidates in districts considered harder to win.
