Mace suggests her support for releasing Epstein-related files may have contributed to Trump's decision to endorse rival Pamela Evette, argues grassroots voters remain unhappy with Trump's endorsement. (Credit: Nicholas Ballasy for Fox News Digital)

Nancy Lacore, a retired Navy vice admiral who was fired by Pete Hegseth, and Mac Deford, a local attorney, advanced to a runoff election on Tuesday evening amid a crowded Democratic primary to fill a congressional vacancy left behind by Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C.

Because no candidate garnered more than 50% of the vote needed to win outright, the primary now heads to a runoff that’s slated to take place on June 23. 

Once having cleared the primary, the final candidate will look to become just the second Democrat to hold South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District in over 40 years by highlighting her military record as well as how she was removed from her post by War Secretary Pete Hegseth.

FOX NEWS PROJECTS DEMOCRATIC REP. DON DAVIS WILL WIN NORTH CAROLINA'S 1ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., left, pictured alongside retired Navy Admiral Nancy Lacore, right. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images; Nancy Lacore for Congress)

The vacancy first came about when Mace, a firebrand conservative, announced her decision to run for governor of the Palmetto State.

During her time in Congress, Mace has attracted attention for her willingness to break with her own party on high-profile issues. She was one of the eight Republicans who voted with Democrats to remove former U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in 2023 and one of four GOP lawmakers who forced a vote on releasing the Epstein Files earlier this year.

Mace said she would look to continue her work as a political maverick at the state level.

"South Carolina needs a governor who will drag the truth into sunlight and flip the tables," Mace said during her announcement speech.

WATCH: MACE SAYS TRUMP'S ENDORSEMENT HASN'T SEALED SC GUBERNATORIAL RACE: ‘IT’S A DOG FIGHT’

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., leaves the U.S. Capitol after the House reauthorized Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act on April 12, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

S.C.'s first, a relatively safe Republican district, has been held by the GOP for much of the past 40 years. Aside from Rep. Joe Cunningham, D-S.C., who held the seat from 2019 to 2021, Republicans have controlled the district since 1981.

Mace last won re-election in 2024 in a 58.2% to 41.6% victory over Democratic challenger Michael Moore, a businessman.

To turn the tables and flip the seat, Lacore has pitched herself as an anti-politics civil servant.

Lacore originally served as a Navy pilot and finished her career as a three-star admiral before being removed by Hegseth, a decision Lacore has characterized as "without cause." Her firing came as the Trump administration carried out efforts to reform the Department of Defense and coincided with the dismissals of other high-level figures like Lt. Gen. Kennedy Kruse, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, and Rear Adm. Milton Sands, commander of the Naval Special Warfare Command.

All three were relieved of their duties on Aug. 22, 2025.

NAVY VETERAN ROCKY ROCHFORD SEEKS TO TURN TAMPA BAY RED, UNSEAT 20-YEAR HOUSE INCUMBENT

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth speaks at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on May 30, 2026. On Thursday, Hegseth reaffirmed the Trump administration's support for Bolivia's fragile government amid mass protests. (Edgar Su/Reuters)

"For 35 years, I served in the United States Navy with the belief that service, honor and integrity matter; that these are the qualities of true leaders," Lacore said in a campaign video.

"But it’s not what our political leaders believe today."

She has raised $1.4 million as of late May, according to FEC records.

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Deford, for his own part, presented himself to voters as a pragmatic candidate. On his website, he highlighted a track record serving as the Town of Mount Pleasant’s Associate General Counsel and advising it through the COVID-19 Pandemic, a housing initiative and navigating federal funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

"This isn’t a political stop for me. This is home and I want to serve as your next representative in Washington," Deford said in a campaign video.

According to FEC records, Deford raised $547,800.

Leo Briceno is a politics reporter for the congressional team at Fox News Digital. He was previously a reporter with World Magazine.

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