WASHINGTON — Democratic Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona has endorsed former Vice Admiral Nancy Lacore in her campaign for South Carolina's 1st Congressional District, backing the retired Navy leader after her dismissal from military service by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth became a focal point of her congressional bid.
Kelly's political organization announced the endorsement on Wednesday as part of a broader effort to support 10 Democratic military veterans seeking election to the U.S. House of Representatives in competitive races ahead of the November midterm elections. According to Kelly's office, his campaign will also contribute the maximum amount permitted to each House candidate and help raise additional campaign funds.
Lacore, the former chief of the Navy Reserve, won the Democratic nomination for South Carolina's coastal district after building her campaign around her 35-year military career and her removal from office by Hegseth in 2025. Her campaign has said she was dismissed without cause during a broader overhaul of senior military leadership under the Trump administration.
"Senator Kelly is proud to support these battle-tested leaders because they bring the grit and service-oriented perspective that Congress needs right now," Kelly spokesperson Marisol Samayoa said in a statement announcing the endorsements.
Kelly, a former Navy combat pilot and NASA astronaut, has become one of the Democratic Party's most prominent veterans. He has also been engaged in a high-profile legal dispute with the Pentagon after challenging actions by Hegseth, who sought disciplinary measures against the senator over public comments urging military personnel to refuse unlawful orders.
Lacore said Kelly's endorsement reflected their shared commitment to public service rather than partisan politics.
"The one thing we share is we both consider public service to be about delivering results to people and about the Constitution, not about political games," Lacore told NOTUS. "Yet we have both been caught up in some political games, thanks to Pete Hegseth."
South Carolina's 1st Congressional District became an open race after Republican Representative Nancy Mace chose not to seek reelection while pursuing an unsuccessful bid for governor. Independent election analysts have shifted the district's rating from safely Republican to leaning Republican, making it one of several closely watched House contests this year.
Kelly's endorsement adds to a growing list of Democratic candidates he has backed during the 2026 election cycle as he expands his national political profile while campaigning for military veterans seeking federal office.
