Democrat fired by Trump administration narrowly leads in 1st District contest

South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District appears headed for an automatic recount with results that could mark a major victory for Democrats in a seat that was supposed to be safe for Republicans.

With 98% of votes counted at midnight Tuesday, Democrat Nancy Lacore had a 0.7 percentage point lead over Republican Jenny Costa Honeycutt. Less than 2,400 votes separate the two, according to unofficial results. In South Carolina, results within a one-point margin require a recount.

If Lacore is declared the winner, it would make the second flip for South Carolina, following Democrat Annie Andrews winning the U.S. Senate seat.

In South Carolina’s other U.S. House districts, GOP incumbent Reps. Sheri Biggs in the 3rd District, William Timmons in the 4th District and Russell Fry in the 7th District won their re-election bids. And state Sen. Wes Climer, R-Rock Hill, will replace outgoing U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman in the 5th District.

As of midnight, The Associated Press also had yet to call a winner in the 2nd District, where GOP U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson led by 1.4 percentage points.

However, U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, who has been the only Democrat in South Carolina’s congressional delegation, sailed to another term in the 6th District.

Whether Lacore will join him on Capitol Hill has yet to be determined. It could mark the district’s third flip in eight years.

Republicans held control of it for nearly 40 years until Joe Cunningham flipped the district in 2018. Cunningham narrowly lost two years later to Republican U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, who gave up the seat this year for an unsuccessful bid for governor.

Lacore’s lead is especially significant after legislators redrew the district to more heavily favor Republicans after the 2020 census. That map moved Democrat-heavy precincts into the 6th District, the only one in the state that votes reliably blue.

Proving the area’s GOP muster, Mace defeated Andrews, who won a statewide race Tuesday, by nearly 14 percentage points in 2022, then trounced her 2024 opponent by nearly 17 points.

Throughout this election cycle, polls showed the coastal district moving closer to the middle, until the nonpartisan Cook Political Report considered it a “toss-up” for Tuesday night. That turned out to be spot on.

Nationwide, voters have shown strong enthusiasm for Democrats.

Lacore and Honeycutt won their parties’ nominations in crowded primaries. Lacore defeated six other Democrats, and Honeycutt won out over nine other Republicans.

Lacore, a retired vice admiral and political newcomer, moved to South Carolina last year, after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth removed her from her job as chief of the Navy Reserve with no reason given several months prior. That move, which came as part of a larger pattern of the Trump administration targeting perceived critics of the president, drew national interest and major donations.

As of Oct. 14, the end of the last reporting period, Lacore had raised more than $4.8 million, according to reports to the Federal Election Commission. Honeycutt, in comparison, had raised close to $1.3 million. Both spent nearly everything they had.

Honeycutt, a member of the Charleston County Council and a lifelong resident of the state, often criticized Lacore for not having spent long in the state.

Lacore pointed to her experience in government as qualification enough for Congress. She started her career as a Navy pilot, before joining the part-time reserve to raise her six children and work as a defense contractor. As head of the reserve, Lacore oversaw about 59,000 sailors and often worked with Congress for resources, including securing new airplanes, she previously said.

Honeycutt, a mother of three, runs a James Island law firm, where she specializes in representing construction companies, including resolving contract and payment disputes, as well as navigating government regulations. She worked as a clerk for then-Gov. Mark Sanford while attending law school at the University of South Carolina.

Both candidates’ campaigns focused on affordability, though they differed on the reasons for rising prices. While Honeycutt has said she wanted to cut government spending and reduce the national debt, Lacore pointed to President Donald Trump’s tariffs and the war in Iran as reasons for inflation.

Libertarian Bill Reeside was also on the ballot. Unofficial results show him with 1.6% of the vote.