The divide between Republican incumbent Ralph Norman and Democratic challenger Moe Brown could not be wider. Norman, the state’s current representative in the 5th Congressional District, was elected in 2017 after a special election that was undoubtedly won with the support of the growing far-right electorate following President Donald Trump’s victory just one year before.
Since taking office, Norman has done little to represent the well-being of his constituents, voting against the impeachment on Donald Trump as well as against the second stimulus relief package for Americans affected by COVID-19. And while Norman sits cozy in his seat on Capitol Hill now, he faces a challenger here at home who is no stranger to the playing field.
As a former wide receiver at the University of South Carolina, Moe Brown has the name recognition that Democrats need to take back a seat that has not been held by the party since Mick Mulvaney defeated Democratic incumbent John Spratt, Jr. in 2010. More importantly, though, Brown has the pro-business policies and community support that may make him Norman’s worst nightmare come November.
Brown’s platform prioritizes investing in his community through the creation of jobs, an improvement in transportation and healthcare infrastructure, and an investment in renewable energy. Brown touts the impressive achievement of bringing over 5,000 jobs to the state and “over a billion dollars in economic development to mostly rural towns in South Carolina” through his work at the state Department of Commerce, a feat that has gained him the support of his neighbors in the 5th Congressional District.
What has Ralph Norman done for District 5? Here are a couple things that he has voted against: protecting older Americans from workplace discrimination, regulating the tobacco industry’s targeting of teenagers, disaster relief funding, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, and tax fairness. Norman was also one of only 37 representatives who voted against establishing a women’s history museum in the Smithsonian Institute. If Norman can’t seem to vote for his constituents, why should his constituents vote for him?
Moe Brown represents a new generation of leaders who know the issues that are most important to their community because they are a part of the community themselves. Norman, on the other hand, represents everything South Carolinians despise about politics: a distant career politician who profits in office while his neighbors go without quality education or paved roads. The 5th Congressional District deserves better than the Republican status-quo that has dominated its last decade and Moe Brown is ready to fight for it.