Ousted Navy Admiral Vying to Unseat Rep. Nancy Mace in South Carolina

Nancy Lacore, a former Navy vice admiral who was removed from her post by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, is challenging statewide fixture Rep. Nancy Mace in South Carolina's 1st District congressional race later this year.

Lacore, a native of Albany, New York, was designated a Naval Aviator in 1993 and served numerous roles, notably as the 16th Chief of Navy Reserve on Aug. 23, 2024.  As commander of the Navy Reserve Force, she led approximately 59,000 Reserve Component personnel who support the Navy, Marine Corps and joint forces.

She is centering her campaign on Pentagon oversight, veterans reform and fiscal discipline. Her campaign framed her decades in uniform as a mandate to scrutinize Defense Department decision making while pushing faster benefits delivery for veterans and stronger accountability for taxpayer dollars.

Congress has a constitutional responsibility to conduct rigorous oversight of the Department of Defense. Nancy believes accountability and readiness go hand in hand. - a Lacore campaign spokesperson to Military.com

DoD declined to comment on Lacore’s removal, according to her campaign. The Navy also declined to comment on the matter, the spokesperson said, adding that the White House “cannot comment on the Hatch Act.”

The Hatch Act is a federal law that restricts partisan political activity by executive branch employees, including many civilian and military officials, while they are serving in government positions. Active-duty service members are also subject to Defense Department regulations limiting political activity.

Military.com reached out for comment to Rep. Mace’s office, the South Carolina Republican Party, and the South Carolina Democratic Party.

South Carolina's 1st District primary is June 9, and a primary runoff is June 23. Successful candidates will move forward to the general election on Nov. 3. The filing deadline is March 30.

Security and Oversight Front and Center

Campaign officials said Lacore plans to make military readiness, strategic competition with China, and what they described as restoring professionalism inside the Pentagon central themes of her election bid, arguing Congress needs tougher scrutiny of defense priorities as lawmakers debate future budgets.

South Carolina’s 1st District includes major military and defense footprints, including Joint Base Charleston, giving defense policy unusual weight in local politics. Her campaign said she would focus on oversight of procurement and readiness, pressing for clearer accountability measures and more predictable funding.

Oversight fights have already surfaced in Washington as lawmakers push to reshape weapons buying and demand more transparency from Pentagon leadership, including in the annual defense policy bill.

Fixing a Backlogged VA System

Lacore’s platform also targets what her campaign described as modernizing veterans services, with a focus on simplifying disability claims and reducing health care appointment wait times.

“She has spent her career serving service members and their families,” the spokesperson told Military.com. “That experience informs how she approaches veterans policy.”

South Carolina is home to more than 400,000 veterans, according to U.S. Census Bureau data, making veterans-based policies a core issue in a district anchored by military installations and retired service members.

Claims delays have remained a pressure point nationally as the VA has worked through heavy volumes tied to new eligibility rules and older backlogs, with growing attention on whether automation and AI tools will change how claims move through the system.

Military.com reached out for comment to the VA.

Fiscal Discipline and Federal Spending

Lacore’s campaign also framed her candidacy around fiscal discipline, arguing Congress must pair national security priorities with responsible budgeting.

Campaign officials said she supports reviewing defense and non-defense accounts for efficiency while protecting military readiness and veterans programs.

Her campaign did not specify dollar targets or proposed cuts. Officials said she would push bipartisan budget negotiations aimed at long-term stability while reducing reliance on short-term funding patches that have repeatedly forced agencies into compressed spending decisions.

South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District includes Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Hilton Head Island and much of the coastal Lowcountry.

Republicans have typically run strong at the top of the ticket in the district, even as the seat has flipped in recent cycles. Mace has previously described herself as President Donald "Trump in high heels."