Navy admiral fired by Hegseth wins election to Congress

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) has been replaced as the representative for South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District by retired Navy Adm. Nancy Lacore, a Democrat.The Associated Press called the race for Lacore at 6:51 p.m. Friday evening. She garnered 49.7% against Republican Jenny Costa Honeycutt’s 48.6%, with 99% of the vote counted.Lacore served in the Navy for 35 years before she was fired by War Secretary Pete Hegseth in 2025 amid a high-profile leadership purge, which was part of her reason to run. She had served as chief of the Navy Reserve prior to her ouster, which gave her national attention. The Cook Political Report changed the contest to a “toss-up” in the week before Election Day. Mace won reelection in 2024 by 17 percentage points. President Donald Trump won the seat by 13 points two years ago.Mace will be departing Congress in January after three terms in the House and an unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign earlier in the summer.TRUMP SAYS HE EXPECTS TO FIRE CABINET MEMBERS AFTER MIDTERM DEFEATBut her departure from Washington comes after a turbulent relationship with Trump, particularly over her demand that the administration release the files from the federal government’s investigation into the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and her congressional aides, many of whom have complained about a problematic work environment under her leadership.Mace has told reporters she plans to spend her time post-Congress in the private sector, in addition to amplifying her podcast MACED and her media presence.