Nancy Lacore, a retired three-star admiral and former chief of the Navy Reserve, has announced a run for Congress in South Carolina's 1st District, seeking the seat being vacated by GOP Rep. Nancy Mace, who is running for governor.
Lacore, registered as a Democrat, enters the race after being dismissed from the Pentagon by War Secretary Pete Hegseth last year.
In an announcement video posted Tuesday on X, Lacore reflected on her abrupt exit from government service, saying she "never put the uniform on again" after leaving the Pentagon the day she was ousted.
She said the experience pushed her toward public office, adding that she "can't stand by while Americans and South Carolinians [are] struggling."
Lacore leveled broad criticism at Washington, accusing elected officials of prioritizing politics over principle.
"Our leaders in Congress are not working for us," she said in the video.
"They have lost the courage to act, to fight for, and to serve the people they represent."
She added that too many officials care "more about party politics than standing up for the Constitution."
In August, Hegseth removed Lacore along with Air Force Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse, head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, and Rear Adm. Milton Sands, the commander of Naval Special Warfare Command.
If elected, Lacore would represent a coastal swing district.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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