A retired three-star admiral pushed out of the Pentagon is now seeking a seat in Congress — with the backing of a senator who was himself a Navy officer.
The endorsement
Sen. Mark Kelly, a retired Navy combat pilot and former astronaut, endorsed Nancy Lacore as part of a slate of ten military veterans running in competitive House races, The Hill reported. Kelly's campaign committee is giving the maximum $2,500 to each and pledging fundraising help. "Senator Kelly is proud to support these battle-tested leaders because they bring the grit and service-oriented perspective that Congress needs," a Kelly spokesperson said. Lacore framed her run around institutional duty: "The one thing we share is we both consider public service to be about … the Constitution, not about political games," she said.
From the Pentagon to the ballot
Lacore was dismissed as chief of the Navy Reserve in August 2025, about a year into a post that typically runs four, and says she was given no reason, ABC News reported. A 35-year veteran promoted to vice admiral in 2024, she was among more than two dozen generals and admirals removed under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth — departures critics have called an ideological purge of the officer corps. Lacore has said the removals send "a very clear message" discouraging service.
The race
Lacore won the Democratic nomination for South Carolina's 1st District — anchored by Charleston — taking a June runoff, NOTUS reported, and faces Republican Jenny Costa Honeycutt in November. The seat, open after Rep. Nancy Mace left it to run for governor, has been in Republican hands almost continuously since 1981, though a Democrat won it briefly in 2018. Lacore had raised about $1.4 million by late spring, a sign of national Democratic interest. Kelly, who has publicly clashed with Hegseth, has positioned himself as a recruiter for a class of former officers turning Pentagon exits into campaigns. The general election, of course, has yet to be decided.
