Moe Brown wins SC’s 5th Congressional District primary, will face Ralph Norman
The South Carolina Democratic Party has picked the nominee who will face incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman in the 5th District congressional race.
The Associated Press declared former University of South Carolina Gamecocks wide receiver Moe Brown the winner Tuesday night over challenger Sidney Moore, a former York County Council member. Moore sought the Democratic nomination for the 5th District in 2018.
Norman, R-Rock Hill, has held the seat since 2017, following a special election after Mick Mulvaney became President Donald Trump’s budget director. Norman won the 2018 election again facing Democratic challenger Archie Parnell.
With about 80% of statewide precincts reported at 11 p.m., Brown was ahead with almost 68% of the vote.
Brown, of Fort Mill, has earned a name in the world of South Carolina politics. He worked in the state Commerce Department under then-Gov. Nikki Haley. Bakari Sellers, a former state legislator and CNN commentator, spoke at Brown’s campaign kick-off event in March. Also, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham challenger Jaime Harrison has helped campaign for the football star.
Brown, 32, also has utilized his football connections during his campaign. A slew of former Gamecocks and NFL players, including Captain Munnerlyn, Darian Stewart and Jamar Nesbit, were among the crowd at his kick-off. Munnerlyn was a longtime Carolina Panthers safety. Stewart played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
At the time the results came in Tuesday, Brown was hanging out with his family cooking hamburgers, he told The Herald. His win didn’t hit him right away, he said.
“I was actually making the patties for people, making sure everyone was fed,” he said. “And it just started sinking in and it changed to an overwhelming feeling — being proud of what we’ve been able to do and mourn for a little in the fact that my granny couldn’t be here.”
Less than two months into his campaign, Brown announced in April that his grandmother, Janie Lou Brown, had died at the age of 80 due to complications related to COVID-19. His grandmother sat near the front row of Brown’s kick-off event in March.
“I had a moment where I broke down there as well,” Brown continued.
After a successful kick-off event, Brown’s campaign was just starting to get into its stride when the pandemic hit, he said. Brown had to cancel all public events, and turned to social media to connect with voters. And although running for office in the middle of a pandemic was challenging, Brown said he’s proud of the outcome.
“We put in the work,” Brown said. “We had some issues come up and we adjusted. Just like on the football field, if you practice well, you play well. I’ve felt like we’ve been practicing really well and doing what we need to do to be in the position that we’re in and that’s what happened tonight.”
Moving forward, Brown said the pandemic will still serve as a challenge, but he said Tuesday’s primary helped him gain some recognition, and he plans to build on that.
“We’ll span the team out and continue to fundraise,” Brown said. “Ralph Norman, he has the ability to turn on a faucet to put money into the coffers — we understand that. So, we’re going to do grassroot efforts and let people know that we’re fighting every day for them.”
Check back for updates.
This story was originally published June 9, 2020 at 9:33 PM.
