Admiral fired in Hegseth purge wins Democratic primary in South Carolina | US news
A three-star Navy rear admiral fired by Pete Hegseth last year during the defense secretary’s purge of senior U.S. military officials has won the Democratic primary in a closely watched congressional race.
Nancy Lacore secured the party’s nomination for the U.S. House of Representatives in South Carolina’s primary congressional district on Tuesday after defeating U.S. Coast Guard veteran Mac Deford in a runoff.
Lacore’s focus will now turn to November, when he will lead an ambitious Democratic candidate to flip a Republican seat in the US midterm elections.
The district is currently represented by Republican Nancy Mace, who has forgone re-election to focus on her unsuccessful bid for governor of South Carolina. Charleston County Councilwoman Jenny Costa Honeycutt secured the Republican nomination in Tuesday’s election.
Lacore was among dozens of officers fired during Hegseth’s removal from senior military posts that were perceived to have passed to the Trump administration or did not fit the U.S. defense secretary’s vision for the structure of the armed forces.
It is supported by several veterans groups and Emily’s Listsupports Democratic pro-choice candidates running for office. According to one report, he raised $500,000 in his first two weeks as a candidate and had raised more than $1.4 million by the end of May. Analysis by the New York Times federal campaign finance records.
He is also said to be one of 12 House candidates backed by Bench, a Democratic strategy group that advises candidates in districts deemed harder to win.
