Who's In the Race

South Carolina's 1st U.S. House District is an open seat heading to a four-way general election on Nov. 3. The previous holder, Republican Rep. Nancy Mace, is not running for re-election.

Four nominees advanced from their respective primaries:

  • Jenny Costa Honeycutt won the Republican primary runoff with 53.7 percent of the vote
  • Nancy Lacore won the Democratic primary runoff with 52.14 percent of the vote
  • Bill Reeside advanced from the Libertarian primary, running unopposed
  • Margo Ellis advanced from the Alliance Party primary, running unopposed

***

What They Stand For

Jenny Costa Honeycutt (Republican)

Honeycutt's campaign platform calls for stricter border security, lower costs for families, stronger public safety, protecting women's and girls' sports, and fiscal responsibility.

On immigration and border security, her platform calls for related enforcement policies, according to her campaign website. Her platform calls for lowering costs for families and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars, according to her campaign website at jennycostahoneycutt.com/platform.

All six sheriffs in the South Carolina counties that make up the 1st District endorsed her campaign in September 2026. She also wrote in a July 2 Washington Examiner op-ed that "protecting girls' sports should never have been" a politically contentious issue. Her campaign biography highlights her background as a small business owner and her record balancing budgets as a Charleston County Council member, framing limited government as a core commitment.

Nancy Lacore (Democrat)

Lacore, a retired three-star Navy admiral and former Chief of Navy Reserve with 35 years of service, built her campaign platform around healthcare access, lowering the cost of living, veterans' services, coastal protection, and government accountability.

On healthcare, her priorities page calls for offering all Americans a "non-profit insurance option like Medicare, an insurance that prioritizes patients over profits." Her campaign announcement states: "Hard work should result in a stable life. Americans deserve a lower cost of living (housing, healthcare, childcare, and daily essentials) so families, seniors, veterans, and young Americans can build secure futures."

Protecting South Carolina's coastline and environment is listed as a top priority on her campaign website, confirmed in a Live5 News interview as one of her three stated top issues. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee added Lacore to its "Red to Blue" program, which characterized her as willing to "enforce the rule of law and take down corrupt politicians" and to "stand up to both parties whenever they put politics ahead of the Lowcountry," according to ABC News 4 reporting.

Bill Reeside (Libertarian)

Reeside, a retired nuclear engineer, frames his candidacy around fiscal responsibility, personal liberty, and a prosperous future, positioning himself as an alternative to both major parties.

In a Post and Courier profile, he described himself as a "fiscal conservative" whose mission is to use Congress's power to "restore fiscal discipline" and "rebalance the federal government," distinguishing himself from the Republican Party's current approach. In a Live5 News interview, he stated he "supports immigration," using that position to separate himself from the Republican field while pointing to fiscal issues to separate himself from Democrats.

Margo Ellis (Alliance Party)

Ellis is running under the Alliance Party of South Carolina, which describes itself as standing for "fairness, opportunity, and integrity" and "restoring trust in government." Her background includes a career as an English and Leadership teacher and Director of Student Activities, according to her campaign website.

The Money Behind the Race

South Carolina outside spending in this race has reached $2,509,297 in Federal Election Commission independent expenditure filings, with coverage through Sept. 21. Outside money has flowed heavily toward supporting candidates rather than attacking them.

Of the total, $2,459,099 across 44 filings went to support candidates, while $50,198 across 14 filings went to oppose candidates.

Broken out by the party of the targeted candidate, Republican candidates drew $1,775,561 across 48 filings, compared with $733,736 across 10 filings directed at Democratic candidates.

The five committees that spent the most in the race are listed below. The leaderboard reflects spending volume only; the direction of each committee's spending (whether it supported or opposed a specific candidate) is not supplied by this breakdown.

***

Race Outlook: Ratings and Betting Markets

Every major race-rating service puts this contest firmly in Republican territory. Cook Political Report rated the race "Likely Republican" as of Sept. 25; Sabato's Crystal Ball rated it "Likely Republican" as of Sept. 22; and Inside Elections rated it "Likely Republican" as of Sept. 17.

The prediction market Kalshi put the Republican nominee's probability of winning at 72.55 percent and the Democratic nominee's at 27.45 percent, as of Sept. 28, based on $86,520 in market volume.

The 1st District seat went Republican in both 2024 and 2022, with the previous holder winning 58.2 percent in 2024 and 56.4 percent in 2022.

Statewide, Republicans won six of seven U.S. House races in both 2022 and 2024, with Democrats holding only the 6th District in each cycle. In the 2024 presidential race, South Carolina backed the Republican nominee with 58.2 percent of the vote.

---

AllCiv makes it easy to stay politically informed and involved.

---

Spot something wrong? Report an issue with this article