Zach Dembo Flips Kentucky House Seat as Navy Admiral Nancy Lacore Leads in South Carolina

Democrat Zach Dembo won Kentucky's 6th Congressional District on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, flipping a seat Republicans had held for more than 15 years. The Associated Press called the race at 10:16 p.m. ET, with Dembo leading Republican Ralph Alvarado 52.7% to 43.3% with 99% of the expected vote counted, a margin of 9.4 points. Alvarado conceded on Tuesday night.

In South Carolina, a second former federal worker was on the verge of a similar upset. Nancy Lacore, a former US Navy admiral fired this year by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, led by about one point in the state's 1st District, and her Republican opponent had conceded even though the Associated Press had not yet called the race.

Key Points

• Dembo won Kentucky's 6th District 52.7% to 43.3% over Republican Ralph Alvarado; the Associated Press called the race at 10:16 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
• Dembo is the first Democrat to win the seat in more than 15 years, in a district President Donald Trump carried by 15 points in 2024.
• Nancy Lacore, a former Navy admiral fired this year by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, leads by about one point in South Carolina's 1st District, though the Associated Press has not yet called the race.
• The Kentucky seat was open because Republican Andy Barr left it to run for the US Senate, winning the race to succeed retiring Senator Mitch McConnell.
• The Washington Post counted three former federal workers among the night's congressional winners, including Sam Forstag in Montana.

What Happened

Voters in central Kentucky delivered one of the night's clearest swings. With 99% of the expected vote counted, Dembo held 52.7% to Alvarado's 43.3%, a 9.4-point margin. The Associated Press called the race at 10:16 p.m. ET, and Alvarado conceded later on Tuesday night.

In South Carolina's 1st District, covering Charleston and the Lowcountry, the outcome was still officially uncalled on Wednesday, but the direction was clear: Lacore led by about one point and her Republican opponent had conceded. Representative Nancy Mace won the seat by nearly 17 points in 2024, so even a narrow Lacore victory would be a dramatic swing.

Background and Context

Kentucky's 6th District covers Lexington and the surrounding Bluegrass region, and its last Democratic representative left office more than 15 years ago. President Donald Trump carried the district by 15 points in 2024.

Dembo is a Navy veteran and a former federal prosecutor in the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division who later served as legislative director for Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. He resigned from the department in May 2025 over what he called its politicization, a decision that became the centrepiece of his campaign. Lacore's story runs in parallel: a former Navy admiral fired this year by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, she campaigned as a veteran pushed out of the service she had spent her career in.

How Zach Dembo Won the Kentucky House Seat

Dembo won by turning his biography into an argument. As a former prosecutor, he promised voters he would investigate corruption wherever he found it, and he made that promise the closing message of his campaign. In an interview after his win, he said he would keep his campaign promise to investigate any corruption, no matter if it comes from Democrats or Republicans.

The scale of the win matters as much as the win itself. A 9.4-point margin in a district Trump carried by 15 points two years earlier is a swing of nearly 25 points, one of the largest in the country on Tuesday night. It suggests the Democratic wave reached deep into Republican-leaning territory, not just coastal or urban districts.

Dembo's victory completes a remarkable set alongside Sam Forstag's win in Montana — see our report on Forstag's historic Montana win.

Reactions and Quotes

Dembo spoke after his win about the role his prosecutorial background would play in Congress. "I think being a former prosecutor is a helpful skill set on any committee," he said. The remark pointed to the oversight work the new House majority is expected to pursue in January.

Lacore told The Washington Post that voters increasingly raised government corruption as a concern on the campaign trail, and that she owns no stocks and considers preventing insider trading a top priority. On war powers she was direct: "That power to declare war and send our servicemen and women into combat should be with Congress," she said. "And I will make sure we are sticking with that."

Why It Matters

Three former federal workers flipping Republican-held House seats is a measure of how deeply the administration's overhaul of the federal workforce has reshaped American politics. The Washington Post reported that nearly one in five federal workers has left government service in the past two years, and the Post counted 11 former federal workers running for House seats in this cycle. Each flipped seat also widens the Democrats' House majority, and a former Civil Rights Division prosecutor on the House's committees gives Democrats a member who knows the Justice Department from the inside, at a moment when its conduct is likely to face intense scrutiny. See also our reports on Democratic women winning a record 100 House seats and the Democrats' 54-seat Senate majority.

What Happens Next

The new Congress convenes on January 3, 2027, and Dembo will take his seat as part of the Democratic House majority. In South Carolina, the Associated Press is expected to call the 1st District race once the remaining votes are counted, with Lacore's narrow lead and her opponent's concession making the outcome all but certain.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Zach Dembo?

Dembo is a Navy veteran and former federal prosecutor in the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, and a former legislative director for Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. He resigned from the department in May 2025 over what he called its politicization.

How big was Dembo's margin in Kentucky's 6th District?

Dembo led Republican Ralph Alvarado 52.7% to 43.3% with 99% of the expected vote counted, a margin of 9.4 points. The Associated Press called the race at 10:16 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

Who is Nancy Lacore?

Lacore is a former US Navy admiral who was fired this year by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. She leads by about one point in South Carolina's 1st District, and her Republican opponent has conceded, though the Associated Press has not yet called the race.

Has the South Carolina 1st District race been called?

Not yet. The Associated Press had not called the race as of Wednesday, but Lacore leads by about one point and her opponent has conceded, making her victory all but certain.

Who is the third former federal worker who won a House seat?

Sam Forstag, a former smoke jumper and federal wilderness firefighter, is on track to win Montana's 1st District. His opponent has conceded, but the Associated Press has yet to call that race either.

Sources: The Washington Post; Associated Press; Courier-Journal; DNYUZ. See also our coverage of Forstag's Montana win.