Who won, lost in SC’s US House races
In one of the state’s most closely watched congressional races, incumbent Democratic Rep. Joe Cunningham was locked late Tuesday night in a tight race with Republican challenger Nancy Mace for the Charleston-centered 1st District seat, which covers parts of five coastal area counties.
At 11:30 pm, the Cunningham-Mace contest was too close to call with many precincts still left to be counted. It appeared that counting will resume Wednesday morning.
In 2018, Cunningham had upset a Republican favored to win the seat and became part of the new Democratic majority in the U.S. House that for the last two years has been a counterweight to President Trump and the GOP-controlled Senate. That race also was so close a winner was not declared until the day following the election.
During this year’s race, Cunningham stressed his independence, a pragmatic approach and his ability to work with Republicans. Key issues included a high-profile stand against offshore drilling and a willingness to address climate change, which is believed to cause more floods in and around Charleston, with scientific solutions.
Mace, a graduate of The Citadel, stressed that she would be a staunch backer of President Trump.
In other races, early returns indicated that all incumbents would retain their seats.
Cunningham, 38, outraised Mace, 42, who was backed by Trump, by some $6.3 million to $4.9 million.
In the solidly Republican 2nd Congressional District, incumbent GOP Rep. Joe Wilson, 73, led by double digits when the race was called.
In winning, Wilson defeated Democrat Adair Boroughs of Columbia, a former U.S. Department of Justice attorney, who had risen from a hardscrabble rural background to become a standout student at Furman University and Stanford Law School. With about two-thirds of precincts reporting, Wilson led with 61% of the vote to Borough’s 37%.
In the 3rd Congressional District, Republican incumbent Jeff Duncan, a Laurens businessman, beat Democratic challenger Hosea Cleveland handily to win a sixth consecutive term.
Duncan, 54, a staunch conservative and gun rights supporter, had raised $1.3 million to Cleveland’s roughly $23,000. Duncan’s district covers 11 counties in western South Carolina from Edgefield County up to Oconee and Pickens County, where Clemson University is located.
In the 4th Congressional District, centered mostly around the Upstate cities of Greenville and Spartanburg, Republican incumbent William Timmons, 36, an attorney, had an early, sizable lead over Democratic opponent, Kim Nelson.
In 2018, Timmons had replaced longtime Republican Rep. Trey Gowdy, who retired.
In the 5th Congressional District, Republican incumbent Ralph Norman, 67, a Rock Hill real estate developer, beat Democratic challenger Moe Brown. With about 86% of precincts reporting, Norman had about a 20 percentage point lead.
Norman’s 11-county district includes York, Lancaster, Kershaw and Fairfield counties, and parts of Newberry and Sumter counties.
In the sprawling 6th District, Democratic incumbent Rep. Jim Clyburn, 80, won his 15th consecutive term, beating two challengers. With about 78% of precincts reporting, Clyburn had about 62% of the vote, compared to his Republican challenger John McCullom, who had about 37% of the votes that had been counted shortly after midnight.
In the 7th Congressional District, which covers eight counties in the Pee Dee, from Marlboro County to Horry County’s Myrtle Beach, Republican incumbent Rep. Tom Rice won reelection over Democratic challenger Melissa Watson. With 92% of precincts reporting, Rice had about 62% of the vote to Watson’s 38%.
This story was originally published November 4, 2020 at 12:45 AM.