Should SC’s Joe Cunningham vote to impeach? His district’s voters say no, poll shows
As U.S. Rep. Joe Cunningham walks a thin tightrope on impeachment, a new poll from his coastal South Carolina district says voters are still mostly in President Donald Trump’s corner.
The poll — commissioned by the S.C. Republican Party and conducted by Starboard Communications, a Lexington-based conservative political consulting firm — asked 450 registered voters in the state’s 1st Congressional District whether they are more of less likely to support Cunningham if he votes for impeachment.
The poll also asked whether “the effort to impeach President Donald Trump is legitimate or a witch hunt.”
According to the poll, which was obtained by The State, 57.2% of registered voters surveyed said they would be less likely to vote for Cunningham if he were to vote to impeach Trump. On the other hand, 37.5% said they would be more likely to vote for him.
Of the 450 voters questioned in the poll, 37.5% said they believed the impeachment inquiry — stemming from allegations that Trump withheld military aid from the Ukraine in order to ask for an investigation into his political rival — was legitimate. About 57% agreed that the procedure is “a witch hunt.”
“For a month now, the (Republican National Committee) and S.C. GOP have been putting pressure on Joe Cunningham to stop the madness and vote to end this impeachment witch hunt,” RNC spokesman Joe Jackson said. “This poll proves if he wants any chance at reelection, he needs to listen to what Lowcountry voters are saying and actually put country over party.”
A spokesperson for Cunningham’s campaign declined to comment.
Cunningham has long tried to remain neutral in the impeachment conversation. As a Democrat who was elected to a seat that was held by Republicans for 40 years, the vulnerable congressman has faced much scrutiny throughout the process, including criticism for voting in October to make the impeachment inquiry public.
As the impeachment hearings sprinted forward, conservative groups and the RNC launched ads against Cunningham across his district.
Democratic leaders have said they will not push Cunningham into voting for impeachment and will leave the final decision up to him.
According to the poll, a majority of the district supports Trump, with 55.8% saying they approve of his job performance and 38.5% disapproving.
The survey was in the field from December 9-10 and has a margin of error of 4.7 percentage points.
This story was originally published December 13, 2019 at 5:00 AM.
