'I'm not done': Navy admiral booted by Hegseth now seeks to flip red Congressional seat

In a dramatic political comeback move, three-star Admiral Nancy Lacore is throwing her hat in the ring for South Carolina's 1st Congressional District after being unceremoniously booted from her post by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last year.

Lacore, a decorated 35-year Navy veteran who climbed the ranks from helicopter pilot to Chief of Navy Reserve, announced her Democratic bid on Tuesday with a defiant message.

"After decades of service to our country, a career that started as a Navy pilot and finished as a three-star admiral, I was removed from my position without cause. I still have more to give, more to fight for, more work to do -- and I am not done serving," she declared on X.

She wasn't alone in Hegseth's purge. Rear Admiral Milton Sands and Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse were also removed around the same time, ABC News reported.

The Charleston-anchored district leans heavily Republican, but Democrats smell opportunity. Party insiders point to 2018 when Democrat Joe Cunningham flipped the seat during a Democratic wave. Lacore has already snagged endorsements from EMILYs List and The Bench, joining a crowded Democratic primary field.

Republicans are fielding their own bench of candidates, including Air Force veteran Alex Pelbath, who piloted the final U.S. flight out of Kabul in 2021.