Dem
47
GOP
53
There is one interesting House race we didn't include yesterday, because the election item was already too long. SC-01 is the open seat that Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) gave up in her futile quest to become governor. She should have known better since Trump doesn't like her. Anyway, she left behind an open R+6 seat that includes parts of Charleston, the low country and Hilton Head Island, along the coast.
On the Republican side, Charleston County Councilor Jenny Costa Honeycutt narrowly came out ahead of state Rep. Mark Smith, 22% to 18%. However, 22% is not 50.01%, so they will have a runoff on June 23.
The Democratic side is more interesting, though. Nancy Lacore served in the Navy for 35 years, starting as a helicopter pilot and ending as a vice admiral (three stars). Last year, Secretary of (still) Defense Pete Hegseth fired her because he doesn't believe women can be warriors, even though she held senior leadership positions in Afghanistan and Djibouti. Rather than go home and become a potted plant, she decided to run for Mace's seat as a Democrat. She immediately was supported by veterans' groups and EMILY's list. On Tuesday, she got 37% of the vote and advanced to the June 23 runoff, against lawyer Mac Deford, who got 29%
Could Lacore be elected? The odds are against it, but she at least has a decent chance to be the Democratic nominee. Still, in a big enough blue wave, a three-star admiral in a state full of veterans might be able to beat whichever local politician gets the GOP nomination. (V)