South Carolina's 1st District Sets November Matchup After Dual Runoffs
A fired Navy admiral faces a Charleston County councilwoman in a district that Republicans have held for decades, creating one of the more closely watched House races of the 2026 cycle.
Two runoff elections held in South Carolina's 1st Congressional District on June 24, 2026, produced the general election matchup that will determine who holds the seat vacated by Rep. Nancy Mace. On the Democratic side, former Navy Admiral Nancy Lacore won the Democratic runoff, according to results reported by The New York Times. On the Republican side, Jenny Costa Honeycutt, a Charleston County councilwoman and attorney, defeated her Republican runoff opponent, according to the same report.
Lacore's background includes a dismissal from naval service, the circumstances of which have not been independently detailed in the available public record. The precise basis for that separation — and any relevant administrative or military proceedings — would be contained in Department of Defense personnel records or any formal review documents that may be publicly available through a Freedom of Information Act request.
Honeycutt currently serves on the Charleston County Council. Her legal and professional background has not been detailed in the available source material beyond her identification as a lawyer. Her campaign finance disclosures, which would detail donor networks and fundraising totals, are filed with the Federal Election Commission and are publicly searchable at fec.gov under her registered candidate committee.
South Carolina's 1st District, which encompasses the Charleston metro area and surrounding coastal counties, has returned Republican candidates in recent general elections. The Cook Political Report and similar nonpartisan outlets have historically rated the seat as Republican-leaning, though The New York Times reporting on the Democratic runoff noted that party operatives believe the seat could be competitive in November 2026.
Key unknowns include each candidate's current fundraising totals for the general election period, the margin of victory in both runoffs, and any independent expenditure activity from outside groups. FEC quarterly filings, due July 15, 2026, for the period ending June 30, 2026, would provide the first comprehensive look at general election financial positioning for both campaigns.