Democrat Nancy Lacore will represent North Charleston in Congress after the Associated Press called her the winner of South Carolina's 1st Congressional District race on Friday, Nov. 6.

The AP made the call at 6:51 p.m. Eastern, three days after election night, according to ABC News 4. Lacore defeated Republican Jenny Costa Honeycutt by 3,308 votes out of 326,012 cast, holding 49.65% to Honeycutt's 48.64%, according to unofficial results reported by the Post and Courier.

The win flips the coastal district from Republican to Democratic control. President Donald Trump won the district by 13 percentage points in 2024, according to ABC News 4.

Lacore is a retired Navy admiral who served as chief of the Navy Reserve. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired her without explanation, according to ABC News 4, one of several moves targeting military leaders during Trump's second term. She launched her congressional campaign in the Lowcountry after her removal, Live 5 News reported.

She will succeed Rep. Nancy Mace, who is leaving the seat after an unsuccessful run for governor.

A race too close to call for days

On election night, Tuesday, Nov. 3, a failed USB stick in Dorchester County forced workers to rescan more than 5,500 early voting ballots, delaying results, ABC News 4 reported. Kizzie Scott, executive director of the Dorchester County Board of Voter Registration and Elections, said the issue was with the USB stick, not the ballots themselves.

By Wednesday, Nov. 4, Honeycutt's campaign contacted Lacore to concede. Lacore held a press conference that afternoon claiming victory, but the AP had not yet called the race.

"We knew it was going to be a tough race, so this isn't unexpected for us; we've been fighting since day one," Lacore said at the Nov. 4 press conference, according to ABC News 4. "We knew it was going to take a lot to flip this red district and we're proud of our hard work. It paid off."

Mace also acknowledged Lacore's victory and congratulated her on a hard-fought campaign, ABC News 4 reported.

What Lacore says she'll prioritize

In coverage published Nov. 4, Lacore told Count on 2 her top priority in Congress will be making life more affordable for Lowcountry families.

"That means bringing down the housing costs, making medical care, health care more affordable, making general life more affordable, which would include repealing several of the tariffs that have been cast out by this administration," she said.

She also identified protecting South Carolina's environment and supporting those who serve the country and local communities as priorities, Count on 2 reported.

Dorchester and Berkeley counties drove the upset. Lacore swung those two counties by 20 and 21 points respectively, according to the Post and Courier. Every county in the district shifted toward Democrats. Libertarian candidate Bill Reeside's 5,346 votes also played a significant role in the outcome, the Post and Courier reported.

Her campaign said she is expected to be among the first female flag officers elected to Congress, according to Count on 2. She pointed to her 35 years of military service as preparation for working across the aisle.

The race results were unofficial as of the AP's Nov. 6 call, pending certification by the state Board of Canvassers. Lacore is expected to take office in January 2027.