Nancy Lacore Flips South Carolina's 1st District, Narrowly Beating Jenny Costa Honeycutt for Nancy Mace's Seat

Democrat Nancy Lacore, a retired Navy vice admiral and first-time candidate, has won South Carolina’s coastal 1st Congressional District. She edged Republican Jenny Costa Honeycutt by about one percentage point in a seat that Republicans had expected to keep. The Post and Courier reported Wednesday that Honeycutt conceded, and outgoing Rep. Nancy Mace, the Republican who gave up the seat to run for governor, congratulated “Congresswoman-elect Nancy LaCore” in a statement.

The name appears two ways in coverage. Local outlets including The Post and Courier and the SC Daily Gazette spell it “Lacore,” while Mace’s office wrote “LaCore.”

How close was the race?

Very close. Based on the latest count from the S.C. Election Commission, The Post and Courier reported Lacore ahead 49.65% to 48.64%, a margin of 3,308 votes out of 326,012 cast.

The race briefly looked like it could go to an automatic recount. The SC Daily Gazette reported that at 2:11 a.m. Wednesday, the state Election Commission posted results showing Lacore ahead by 1.01 percentage points, which put her just above the recount threshold under state law.

Results were delayed overnight because of a problem in Dorchester County. Officials had to manually rescan about 5,500 ballots after a voting machine memory stick failed, according to county elections director Kizzie Scott. She told the Gazette the problem “is nothing new” and that all of the county’s ballots have now been counted.

The results stay unofficial until the state Board of Canvassers certifies them, which The Post and Courier said is scheduled for Friday.

Did Jenny Costa Honeycutt concede?

Lacore told reporters at her Mount Pleasant headquarters that Honeycutt’s campaign sent her an early-morning email conceding and congratulating her. The Post and Courier reported the race as conceded.

The SC Daily Gazette’s account was more cautious. It reported that Honeycutt’s campaign did not confirm a concession and told the Gazette it was still seeking more information from election officials. Lacore’s campaign did not share the email. As of the Gazette’s report, The Associated Press had not called the race.

Honeycutt, an attorney and Charleston County Council member, posted on social media at 2:17 a.m. thanking her supporters. “This campaign has never been about me. It has always been about the Lowcountry,” she wrote, according to The Post and Courier.

What did Nancy Mace say?

Mace, who leaves office in January, congratulated Lacore “and all of South Carolina’s newly elected officials.” She said her office “is committed to ensuring a smooth transition” and called her time in Congress “the honor of my lifetime.” The Gazette noted that Mace gave up the seat to run for governor and lost that race.

Who is Nancy Lacore?

Lacore started her career as a Navy pilot. She later moved to the part-time reserve while raising six children and working as a defense contractor. She eventually became chief of the Navy Reserve, where she oversaw about 59,000 sailors, according to the SC Daily Gazette.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth removed her from that post without giving a reason. She moved to Mount Pleasant in 2025, after the firing, The Post and Courier reported. The Gazette said the removal was part of a broader pattern of the Trump administration targeting people seen as critics of the president, and that it drew national attention.

“We knew it wouldn’t be easy, but we also knew that South Carolinians are frustrated, tired, and looking for some change,” Lacore said Wednesday.

Why is this seat a big deal?

The district covers the southern part of South Carolina’s coast, including all of Beaufort and Berkeley counties and most of Charleston County. Republicans held it for nearly 40 years until Democrat Joe Cunningham flipped it in 2018. Mace beat Cunningham in 2020.

After the 2020 census, the district was redrawn to favor Republicans. Mace won by 14 points in 2022, beating Annie Andrews, who was just elected to the U.S. Senate. She won by 17 points in 2024. Polls tightened this year, and the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rated the race a toss-up by Election Day.

Did the Libertarian candidate matter?

Possibly. Libertarian Bill Reeside of Edisto Island received 5,346 votes, more than the gap between the two leading candidates, according to The Post and Courier. The SC Daily Gazette gave his name as “Bill Reese” and put his share at 1.6%. Reeside told The Post and Courier he did not see himself as a spoiler.

The bigger picture

The Gazette reported that the 1st District was one of at least 32 House seats Democrats picked up nationwide. “We have a majority in the House. We have a significant majority in the Senate as well,” Lacore said, while noting that the president still has veto power.

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