Race for SC’s 5th Congressional District heats up with new candidates
South Carolina’s 5th Congressional District race is taking shape with both parties now fielding candidates for the open seat U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman will leave in 2026 as he campaigns for the governor’s seat.
The district includes all of Lancaster, Union, Fairfield, Chester, York, Lee, Cherokee and Kershaw counties, along with parts of Spartanburg and Sumter counties. It heavily favors Republicans and Democrats last held the seat in 2010. In the 2024 election, Norman won with nearly 64% of the vote.
Mallory Dittmer joins Democratic field
Democrats will have at least two contenders. Mallory Dittmer, a York County political and education advocate, announced her candidacy Wednesday evening at 19th at the Warehouses in Rock Hill. Dittmer told the Herald she decided to run after Democrat Alex Harper dropped out of the race and people, including her own children, urged her to enter.
In a district that leans heavily Republican, Dittmer said she has a leg up on other Democrats because of her more moderate positions. She said people are weary of identity politics.
“I think people are so tired of the division. I think they’re so tired of the ‘us versus them,’” Dittmer said Wednesday night. “I’m so excited to spend this campaign reaching every part of the district, to talk to everyone about what is keeping them up at night.”
Dittmer added, the most important issue to her is the high cost of living for residents.
According to her campaign’s news release, Dittmer spent 15 years in the fashion industry before moving into political advocacy and later co-founding Community Advocates for Public Education. She said her business experience has taught her how to lead, negotiate and collaborate.
“If you think there are big egos in Congress, spend a little time in the fashion industry,” she said.
Dittmer looks forward to bringing the same work ethic and diplomacy she relied on in the fashion world to Washington, she added.
“The number one question I get asked is, why in the world do this crazy thing and run for Congress? The answer is actually pretty simple,” Dittmer told the crowd. “I don’t recognize the country I’m raising my kids in. I think a lot of parents feel the same way right now, and we’ve got to change something.”
Harper briefly entered the race but has since dropped out. At Dittmer’s event Wednesday night, Harper praised her as someone who has already been connecting with voters, adding she has “all the qualities that I do not as a candidate.” He told supporters that Dittmer is “the person that can flip this back after 128 years” of Democratic control that ended in 2010.
Wes Climer campaigns as GOP front-runner
On the Republican side, state Sen. Wes Climer of Rock Hill launched his campaign on July 31 in a bid to succeed U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, who is running for South Carolina governor. Climer, who has represented York County in the state Senate since 2016, aligned his bid with President Donald Trump’s agenda, promising to be an ally in Congress and to push an “America First” platform.
“I’ve had enough and I think you have too,” Climer told supporters at his campaign kickoff. “Enough of the career politicians. Enough of unelected bureaucrats running our lives. Enough of special interests calling the shots.”
Climer is in his third Senate term and chairs the S.C. Senate’s agriculture and natural resources committee. He previously chaired the York County Republican Party and has taken high-profile stands in Columbia, including filing a lawsuit over a General Assembly–approved pay increase for lawmakers, which he called “unconstitutional.”
He has advocated for excluding candy and soda from SNAP benefits and voted against confirming Myra Reece as director of the Department of Environmental Services. Among his reasons for voting no, Climer said he didn’t want the state making rules based on “thoroughly unproven theories,” citing climate change.
Climer said his priorities include cutting the federal budget, sealing the Southern border, overhauling the Department of Justice, and managing South Carolina’s growth. He pointed to his record on constitutional carry, tax cuts, school choice and anti–critical race theory measures.
“The real fight for the future of this country is happening in Washington,” Climer told the Herald during his campaign launch at the Southern Charm Events in Rock Hill. “The stakes are incredibly high. I have learned a lot serving in the State House about how to accomplish conservative objectives, not just talking about it, not just doing a press release or a tweet, but moving it from an idea into a law. I think we need more of that in Washington, people who not only can make the argument, but people who can close the deal.”
Republican strategist Alex Stroman, a former S.C. GOP executive director, said Climer’s legislative and leadership experience would translate in the U.S. House and called his bid “kind of a no-brainer.”
Andrew Clough launched in July
Andrew Clough, a Democrat and longtime American Airlines ramp agent from Rock Hill, told the Herald he entered the race because the district needs a working-class perspective. He said his background, from living paycheck to paycheck to seeing his wife navigate what he called a “broken” immigration system, has given him firsthand experience with many of the challenges families face
Clough said his campaign will focus on economic opportunity, including investments in jobs and infrastructure, expanding affordable healthcare, supporting veterans and military families, and helping small businesses grow.
A former Republican, Clough said he plans to campaign across the district and connect with voters in both parties.
“I believe in showing up in every county, every precinct, and every community — not just the ones that typically vote Democrat,” he said. “I will always put people over politics.”
Republican Bill Bledsoe filed
Another Republican, Bill Bledsoe, has filed paperwork in August with the Federal Election Commission for South Carolina’s 5th District race.
On his campaign website, Bledsoe has posted videos about the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, China’s military activities, and the deployment of the National Guard in Washington, D.C.
Before this, Bledsoe ran as a Constitution Party candidate in the 2020 U.S. Senate race in South Carolina. According to AP News, he eventually withdrew his candidacy and endorsed Republican incumbent Lindsey Graham.
During that 2020 campaign, political ads criticized him as being “too conservative, pro-life, pro-gun, pro-Trump,” Politico reported.
