Joe Cunningham or Nancy Mace? The State endorses in the SC-1 congressional race

The hotly contested race for South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District seat can be summed up simply:

If incumbent U.S. Rep. Joe Cunningham didn’t have a “D” next to his name, most of the Republicans now bellowing for his defeat would be just as loudly supporting his re-election.

And that leads to a simple conclusion:

Cunningham’s strong performance during his first term in Congress has made him clearly deserving of a second one.

On Nov. 3, the voters of the 1st Congressional District, which runs from Hilton Head Island to Charleston County and includes portions of five Lowcountry counties, should choose Cunningham over Republican state Rep. Nancy Mace.

Moderate, pragmatic

Yes, Cunningham, 38, is a Democrat.

But he’s also a member of Congress’ Problem Solvers Caucus, a bipartisan group of lawmakers whose centrist views frequently draw the fierce wrath of liberal Democrats.

Yes, the Mt. Pleasant congressman was among the House Democrats who voted to impeach Republican President Donald Trump.

But Cunningham was also among the 14 House Democrats who opposed the HEROES Act, a costly coronavirus relief bill championed by powerful and polarizing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. In fact, Cunningham was among the minority of Democrats who didn’t support Pelosi’s bid to win the speakership.

And during his first two years in Congress, Cunningham has:

▪ Played a leading role in crafting The Great American Outdoors Act, a recently approved measure that will establish sustained funding for land and water conservation.

▪ Spearheaded a 2019 bill to ban offshore drilling in South Carolina and other coastal states, which clearly set the groundwork for Trump’s decision earlier this month to place a moratorium on exploratory oil drilling in this state and several others.

▪ Established a solid record as a congressman who is diligent when it comes to providing constituent services. Cunningham’s office has handled more than 86,000 email, calls and letters from constituents since January 2019, and, according to stats kept by House leadership, he’s closed more constituent cases than any other freshman Democrat.

In short, Cunningham has been a hard-working, pragmatic and results-driven member of Congress.

He’s been an independent-minded lawmaker who also realizes that the Lowcountry would be poorly served by having a representative who’s a lone-wolf maverick solely for the sake of being one.

“We’ve gotten things (done) because we’re willing to work with others,” Cunningham told The State Editorial Board.

The voters of the 1st District should allow Cunningham to continue that admirable work. They should give him another two years in Congress.

Mace: Impressive, formidable

Cunningham’s Republican opponent, state Rep. Nancy Mace of Berkeley, is a highly impressive candidate.

In fact, Mace has already made history as the first female cadet to graduate from The Citadel military college in 1999.

During her first two years in the state Legislature Mace, 42, has been a productive, reform-minded lawmaker: She was the architect of a law that prohibits pregnant prisoners in South Carolina from being shackled, and she has also played a leading role on House bills opposing offshore drilling and expanding gun ownership rights.

And like Cunningham, Mace has been unafraid to stand up to powerful leaders in her own party.

Last year, for example, Mace drew national attention when she forcefully and successfully demanded that a Republican-backed bill to ban abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected include exceptions for rape and incest. During the course of the debate, Mace revealed that she had been sexually assaulted as a teen.

One of the qualities that makes Mace a formidable congressional candidate is her ability to make a passionate — and more importantly, persuasive — case that she has a proven track record of getting things done.

“I have a history of bringing people together,” Mace told The State Editorial Board. “And I just believe that with all the division we’re seeing now, we need leadership now more than ever.’

Mace is right.

But the voters of the Lowcountry already have someone in Washington who is delivering such leadership.

The fact that Cunningham has already played a major role in developing significant legislation in Congress — a pretty remarkable feat for a freshman member — suggests that he has quickly earned considerable respect and will wield significant influence on Capitol Hill.

The 1st District and its diverse constituencies stand to benefit from Cunningham’s growing stature in Washington, and he’s done nothing to make them question his ability to effectively represent his district.

It’s a close call, but Lowcountry voters should re-elect U.S. Rep. Joe Cunningham.

This story was originally published September 29, 2020 at 6:33 AM.