US Chamber endorses Democrat Joe Cunningham in 1st District race against Nancy Mace
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce endorsed Democratic U.S. Rep. Joe Cunningham on Tuesday in South Carolina’s competitive First District congressional race — atypical for the country’s pro-business group which in years past has backed Republicans for office.
“I know that small businesses are the backbone of the Lowcountry’s economy, which is why I am honored to have the endorsement of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce,” Cunningham wrote in a statement, shortly after receiving a formal endorsement letter from the Chamber. “I’m proud to be a pro-worker, pro-small business leader in Congress because I know that pro-growth policies means greater economic prosperity for every member of our community.”
Cunningham’s moderate approach to Congress has won over the Chamber before.
The Chamber gave Cunningham its Jefferson-Hamilton and Spirit of Enterprise awards for working toward bipartisan solutions and pro-growth economic policies, respectively, Cunningham’s campaign said.
And the Chamber in its recent scorecard ranked Cunningham the fourth most bipartisan member of Congress.
“As our businesses recover and rebuild from this public health and economic crisis, I will continue to support policies that create jobs, promote growth, and reignite our economy, and work with our local chambers of commerce to help small businesses flourish,” Cunningham said.
Unrest within the Chamber over its plans to endorse Democrats was first reported by Politico last week.
Politico reported the endorsements are unusual for the Chamber, historically conservative, which has spent more than $100 million for Republican candidates over the past decade.
That includes Cunningham’s 2018 challenger, former Republican state Rep. Katie Arrington.
Cunningham flipped the Lowcountry seat in the midterms — helping Democrats secure the majority in the U.S. House — against Arrington, marking the first time Democrats had won the coastal seat since the 1980s.
Arrington beat longtime U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford to clinch the GOP nomination, but ultimately lost to Cunningham by just 1.4 percentage points, giving South Carolina two Democrats in Congress.
Republicans have since eyed to reclaim that seat, identified as “tilt Democratic” by election forecasters.
Yet Cunningham has largely outraised Mace as the two battle it out over ads on TV, cable and digital.
“In challenging times, we are reminded of the importance of having leaders who understand the genius of the American system of government and free enterprise and who are willing to tackle the hard problems that confront our nation,” Chamber CEO Tom Donohue wrote in his endorsement letter for Cunningham. “Your continued leadership in Congress will benefit the nation as we combat the coronavirus, work to restore economic growth, and expand opportunities for all Americans.”
