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Navy Admiral Fired by Hegseth Launches Congressional Bid in South Carolina
MLN -22 JAN 2026: Nancy Lacore, a former three-star U.S. Navy admiral who previously served as chief of the Navy Reserve, announced Tuesday that she is running for Congress in South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, months after she was removed from her post by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Lacore, who registered as a Democrat, said in a video posted on the social platform X that she was dismissed without cause “along with dozens of other military leaders.” She said she left the Pentagon the same day she was removed and has not worn the uniform since.
“I never put the uniform on again,” Lacore said. “But I can’t stand by while Americans and South Carolinians are struggling.”
Lacore served more than 30 years in the U.S. Navy and began her career as a Navy pilot before rising to the rank of vice admiral. She was serving as chief of the Navy Reserve when she was removed last August as part of a broader shake-up of senior military leadership ordered by Hegseth.
A Pentagon official declined to comment on Lacore’s claim that she was fired without cause.
In her announcement, Lacore criticized members of Congress, saying they care “more about party politics than standing up for the Constitution.”
“Our leaders in Congress are not working for us,” she said. “They have lost the courage to act, to fight for and to serve the people they represent.”
Lacore is running to succeed Rep. Nancy Mace, a Republican who is seeking the GOP nomination for South Carolina governor and is not running for reelection to the House. The filing deadline for the race is March 30, with party primaries scheduled for June 9.
Other Democrats in the race include Coast Guard veteran Mac Deford, who previously ran in the district. On the Republican side, candidates include physician Sam McCown and retired Air Force Col. Alex Pelbath.
As of last year, the Cook Political Report rated South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District as solidly Republican.
