Two women have been facing off in recent televised debates as they try to distinguish themselves in the race for the coastal 1st Congressional District.
Both want to replace Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace. But they could not be more different.
Jenny Costa Honeycutt
Jenny Costa Honeycutt is a Republican Charleston County councilwoman and James Island native. She touts her community ties as a local attorney and small business owner.
“I’m running to serve the people I love in the place I call home,” Honeycutt said.
She says she started the journey after receiving a call from her son that he and his wife would not be moving back to the Lowcountry. It’s too expensive.
“And that really impacted me,” she said.
Honeycutt says the Lowcountry needs more affordable housing as an influx of newcomers increases demand and cost. But, she says, the coastal area must also preserve its beauty and charm.
As for affordability nationwide, Honeycutt believes the overall economic outlook isn’t bleak.
“The country is doing very well, very low unemployment,” Honeycutt said. “The stock market has had eight all-time highs in the last couple of years.”
But also high, she acknowledges, are grocery and gas prices. Unlike her opponent, Honeycutt doesn’t blame the war with Iran. Instead, she faults the previous administration for overspending and inflation.
As for immigration, Honeycutt praises efforts to secure the border. She supports agreements between ICE and local authorities, blaming sanctuary cities for problems.
“Because truly where we’ve seen problems is where law enforcement isn’t assisting, she said. “They’re actually letting people work against federal law enforcement and that is simply unacceptable.”
Honeycutt has the endorsement of all six sheriffs in the district. She also has the support of President Donald Trump.
Nancy Lacore
Her Democratic opponent Nancy Lacore says she was a lifelong Republican until Trump was elected in 2016.
“I feel that my values have stayed the same and that the party changed drastically,” Lacore said. “I just couldn’t vote that way anymore.”
Lacore served in the Navy for more than 30 years, first as a helicopter pilot, then with the Navy Reserve. Her career culminated as a three-star admiral and chief of the Navy Reserve. It ended when she got a call from a superior last year.
It was a Friday. She remembers it well.
“I went down to his office, and he delivered the news that Pete Hegseth had asked me to be relieved of my position, effective immediately,” she said.
Lacore says she wasn’t told why.
She’s a fierce opponent of the war with Iran. She calls it a “war of choice” and says it must end. Lacore once oversaw nearly 60,000 sailors.
“I think it’s pretty clear, we’re in a worse state than we were when we got into this,” she said. “We went in without a clear plan for what we wanted to accomplish there. It changed depending on the day.”
Lacore blames the war, as well as the president’s tariffs, for rising prices at the pump and in stores.
She also supports securing the nation’s borders. But unlike Honeycutt, she has serious concerns about ICE. She says federal agents should not be allowed to brutalize and intimidate people.
Lacore’s opponent is quick to point out; she’s not from the Lowcountry. The mother of six acknowledges she just moved to the area from Virginia last year to be closer to family.
But already, she says, she’s been strategizing with local mayors about coastal concerns, like flooding and resilience.
“And what could I do? What levers could I pull? What earmarks could I deliver back to the district?”
Lacore says she knows how Washington works from her time at the Pentagon. She secured funding for the Navy Reserve.
Two other candidates are also on the 1st Congressional District ballot. They are Libertarian Bill Reeside and Independent Clayton Cuteri.
Early voting is already underway. Election day is Nov. 3.