Five candidates are running for Congress in SC’s 6th District. Here’s a look at them
There’s a crowded field looking to grab South Carolina’s 6th Congressional District seat.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn was first elected to the 6th District post back in 1992. He is seeking his 17th two-year term in the position. He’ll face four opponents in the coming election: Republican Duke Buckner, Libertarian Michael Simpson, Alliance Party hopeful Joseph Oddo and United Citizens candidate Gregg Marcel Dixon.
Below you will find questionnaires filled out by each of the candidates, including biographical information, links to their campaign websites, their priorities for the coming term of the U.S. House of Representatives, and more.
The general election is set for Nov. 5.
Jim Clyburn - Democrat
Name: James E. Clyburn
Age: 84
Occupation/place of employment: U.S. Congressman, South Carolina’s 6th Congressional District
Education/school: Graduate of South Carolina State (College) University, class of fall 1961
Political or civic experience: I began my professional career teaching public school from 1962 to 1965. I later ran two community development agencies from 1965 to 1971. I joined the staff of South Carolina Governor John C. West in 1971, becoming the first minority advisor to a South Carolina governor in our state’s history. In 1974, Governor West appointed me the South Carolina Human Affairs Commissioner, where I served until my election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1992. In my 30-plus years in Congress, I’ve served as co-president of my freshman class, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, vice chair and chair of the House Democratic Caucus, and twice as House Majority Whip and Assistant Democratic Leader.
Campaign website: https://clyburnforcongress.com/
Why are you running for Congress? As the son of a fundamentalist minister and a cosmetologist, the importance of public service was instilled in me from a young age. I’ve been committed to furthering the progress of this great state and creating opportunities for our constituents throughout my entire career. From providing the federal pathway to bring broadband connectivity to every corner of South Carolina by 2026, to helping bring clean drinking water to more families along the I-95 corridor, to supporting legislation to update our outdated roads and bridges as well as bring down the cost of life-saving medications, my purpose has been clear: to make this country’s greatness accessible and affordable to all. We’ve made tremendous progress, but our work is not done. If given another term, I promise to continue to stand up for the values that matter most to the people of SC-06 and work to deliver life-changing progress on their behalf.
If elected, what would be your two or three priorities next year in Congress? 1. Close the Charleston Loophole: Next year will mark 10 years since the heartbreaking tragedy at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston that took the lives of nine innocent parishioners as they participated in a Bible study. A deadly loophole in our federal background check system is the sole reason the shooter was allowed to buy a gun. I’ll continue the fight to close the loophole so another community never has to go through what we’ve experienced in Charleston.
2. Restore the Affordable Connectivity Program: More than 415,600 households in South Carolina are no longer receiving Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) benefits, which lowered broadband costs for eligible households. Broadband access is essential for school, work, health care and much more. If re-elected, I’ll continue to work in Congress to restore this life-changing benefit and lower costs for the South Carolinians who need it most.
3. Address systemic poverty: If re-elected to Congress, I will continue my push to significantly expand my 10-20-30 plan. Since its implementation in the 2009 Recovery Act, my plan to direct at least 10% of total investments to counties where at least 20% of the population has lived under the federal poverty line for at least 30 years has been applied to 19 federal accounts. It requires no additional spending from the federal government because the plan directs appropriated funds to the communities that need it most.
This district stretches across large swaths of South Carolina, including rural areas. What is the biggest issue facing the rural areas of SC, and what would you do to address it? The biggest issues facing South Carolina’s rural communities are inadequate access to transportation, communication, and medical services. By 2026, thanks in part to my efforts, every residence and business will have access to high-speed broadband. Federal investments I’ve sponsored and supported significant portions of, like the CHIPS and Science Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the Bipartisan Infrastructure law, tackle these issues. I maintain that the best predictor of future behavior is past performance. I’m committed to making this country’s greatness accessible and affordable for all its citizens, and if given another term, I would continue to fight for legislation that brings opportunity to every South Carolinian, regardless of zip code.
Duke Buckner - Republican
Name: Duke Buckner
Age: 52
Occupation/place of employment: Attorney/Buckner Law Firm
Education: J.D. Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center and B.A. English Education, South Carolina State University
Political or civic experience: Served on the Walterboro City Council and was a Congressional candidate in 2022.
Campaign website: https://voteforduke.com
Why are you running for Congress? I am running for Congress to help improve the lives of the citizens of the 6th Congressional District.
If elected, what would be your two or three priorities next year in Congress? My main priorities will be to fix our economy, improve education, and reduce crime.
This district stretches across large swaths of South Carolina, including rural areas. What is the biggest issue facing the rural areas of SC, and what would you do to address it? The biggest issue facing the rural areas of SC is a lack of good paying jobs. I would address this issue by providing opportunities for corporations to opt into a lower tax rate in exchange for creating quality jobs where people in the district can work close to home and not have to drive far distances.
Gregg Marcel Dixon - United Citizens
Name: Gregg Marcel Dixon
Age: 40
Occupation/place of employment: Teacher
Education: Fort Hays State University, and Technical College of the Lowcountry
Political or civic experience: Educational Policy Fellowship, activism, food drives, door to door educational work
Campaign website: https://marcelforcongress.com/
Why are you running for Congress? South Carolina’s Sixth Congressional District is the sixth poorest district out of America’s 435 congressional districts. James Clyburn has been our representative for 32 years. The people of South Carolina’s Sixth US Congressional district deserve better. It is time for a new generation to tackle the current challenges we are facing.
If elected, what would be your two or three priorities next year in Congress? My first three priorities would be to stop mass immigration, to address the debt this nation owes, and to eliminate the federal taxes on Americans’ paychecks.
This district stretches across large swaths of South Carolina, including rural areas. What is the biggest issue facing the rural areas of SC, and what would you do to address it? The largest issue facing South Carolinians in rural areas is the very high cost of living which correlates with the issue of illegal immigration. The more people that move into an area, the higher the cost of housing will become, and the lower wages will become since employers will just replace individuals who are entitled to higher pay with those who will work for lower pay.
I plan to address both issues by immediately working on deporting those here illegally by hiring more ICE agents, making it a requirement that a person prove they are citizen to purchase a vehicle or to rent or buy a home, and I plan to go after any company that is found hiring those here illegally. This will force companies to compete for American employees, and this will lead to an increase in wages. This will also make a lot more homes and apartments available to purchase and rent, and it will make landlords have to lower prices to attract buyers and renters.
Secondly, I plan to eliminate the federal wage tax, and the Social Security tax. The federal tax takes hundreds to thousands of dollars out of Americans’ paychecks, and the Social Security tax takes even more. This is money that the federal government does not need since the federal government, in spite of what they want us to believe, once it accounts for inflation, can generate as much revenue as it needs to meet their monetary needs. This will immediately give Americans thousands of additional dollars in income.
Michael Simpson - Libertarian
Name: Michael Simpson
Age: 53
Occupation/place of employment: US Navy retired
Education/school: B.S. - Business/Accounting from Illinois College
Political/civic experience: US Navy
Campaign website: https://simpsonforsc6.com
Why are you running for Congress: Because I was asked, and the current duopoly of Republicans and Democrats needs to be shaken up a bit.
If elected, what would be your two or three priorities next year in Congress? Consumer Health, A Declaration of Peace, fight against legal plunder.
This district stretches across large swaths of South Carolina, including rural areas. What is the biggest issue facing the rural areas of SC, and what would you do to address it? Federal government control is one of the biggest issues, and I will work to give you more control with less federal government intervention.
Joseph Oddo - Alliance Party
Name: Joseph Oddo
Age: 66
Occupation/place of employment: M&A advisor/writer - Write Consult LLC
Education/school: Bachelors in public policy, Penn State
Political or civic experience: Five times on the ballot candidate for Congress 3 - VA; 2 - SC. Director, Citizens Alliance for Better Candidates.
Campaign website: https://bettercandidates.org/
Why are you running for Congress? I get on the ballot to flip the script on the standard media narrative by arguing that the Big Two political parties actually spoil elections for us independents. By limiting electoral marketplace competition with their uni-party monopoly that excludes all outsiders, we provide alternatives to elevate the citizens’ voice above the mainstream media noise. We actively recruit and empower citizens to act, to engage in civic solutions, and to stand for political office - especially since one-half of all elections have only one name on the ballot.
If elected, what would be your two or three priorities next year in Congress? 1. Election reform - instant runoff voting. 2) Protecting our natural resources to include water, air, soil, organic farming, sustainable agriculture and fishing. 3) Balance the federal budget. All it will take is six to eight to change the fate! As a new member of Congress, my task will be to formulate a fulcrum caucus consisting of other independent minded members who can take away the majority from either of the larger parties and draw more practical and pragmatic members to the center with the objective of actually passing legislation, and getting things done.
This district stretches across large swaths of South Carolina, including rural areas. What is the biggest issue facing the rural areas of SC, and what would you do to address it? By ending the tyranny of our war-promoting empire, we can bring the troops home from permanent bases in the far reaches of the globe and use the billions of dollars saved to feed and house our long suffering marginal community members right here in the 6th District. We are the richest country in the world, so we should commit to taking care of the over 1 million children in this country who are underfed and unhoused.
