A week after the state legislature rejected a redistricting effort that would have shifted the coastal 1st Congressional District, candidates in that primary race are ready to go.
And the field of Democrats seeking a shot at replacing Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace is varied, including a couple of newcomers.
Mayra Rivera Vazquez
Born in Puerto Rico, Mayra Rivera Vazquez has lived in Bluffton for more than a decade. She describes herself as a “fighter” and wants to become the first Latina to represent South Carolina in Congress.
Vazquez has worked as a legal assistant at an immigration law firm and as a nonprofit advisor. She’s also served as the Second Vice Chair for the state’s Democratic Party.
The Lowcountry mother says she knows what it’s like to struggle.
“I’m running to lower the cost of living, to take back this seat, and to make Washington answer to the Lowcountry,” she said during a forum in Charleston last month.
Mac Deford
Mac Deford has run for the 1st Congressional District before, but he was narrowly defeated during the primary in 2024.
Deford says service has defined his life.
At the age of 18, he joined the Coast Guard which eventually brought him to Charleston in 2010. The Citadel graduate went on to get his law degree and has worked as an attorney for the town of Mount Pleasant as well as Hilton Head Island.
The soon to be father of three says serving the Lowcountry has helped prepare him to represent the district in Congress.
“I've helped to bring affordable housing to our district, protect our environment, and help communities that have been neglected,” said Deford during last month’s forum at the Circular Congregational Church in Charleston.
Matthew Fulmer
Born in Columbia, Matthew Fulmer has worked as a Lowcountry waiter for more than a decade.
He says he’s running for Congress because every day people are needed to demand change.
“I work with people who would rather live out of their car than pay current rent prices,” said Fulmer during the church forum held by the Charleston League of Women Voters and the group, Silence is Not an Option (SINO).
“I work with people who are showing up to work after already working another job.”
Fulmer says his campaign is not about himself but about a movement across the nation- people running for the first time, eager to make a difference.
He believes people are tired of what he calls a government dedicated to the most wealthy and well-connected.
Nancy Lacore
As a three-star admiral and Chief of the Navy Reserve, Nancy Lacore of Mount Pleasant served in the Navy for 35 years.
“Last August, I was removed from my position by Pete Hegseth, not because I did anything wrong, but because I did everything right,” she said during last month’s forum in Charleston.
The mother of six says she’s prepared to serve the Lowcountry because she understands Washington and can make it work for the district.
What’s more, she says she fought for nearly 60,000 sailors once under her command and is willing to fight for people in the 1st Congressional District as well.
Lacore was deployed twice during her time as a reservist and worked as a defense contractor for 10 years.
Francina Dantzler
As long-time educator, Francina Dantzler says she knows how to advocate.
She says she helped parents and teachers as a school administrator and counselor for 30 years. Now she wants to advocate for the Lowcountry in Washington.
“I believe my experience as an advocator makes me qualified for this position,” said Dantzer during the Charleston forum.
The Beaufort County resident has never run for office.
Max Diaz
Airplane mechanic Max Diax of Hanahan has also never run for office.
He says he’s part of the working class, like many Americans, and wants to fight for working class people.
“I’ve begun to realize that if anything is going to be different, then people like me are going to have to step up and be the change we wish to see in the world,” said Diaz during the forum.
He says there is a battle in our nation between people at the very top and “the rest of us here at the bottom.”
Ben Frasier
After running for Congress more than a dozen times, Ben Frasier of Wadmalaw Island is back.
The former aide to Congressman Mendel Rivers does not have a campaign website and did not attend last month’s church forum.
Frasier last ran for the 1st Congressional District in 2013.
Primary voting
Early voting ends this Friday. Primary election day is Tuesday, June 9th.
