The past few weeks have been filled with a whirlwind of events, from the continued pandemic, to the loss of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, to the subsequent nomination of Amy Coney Barrett as her replacement.
The passing of Ginsburg was met with condolences from leaders on both sides of the aisle who expressed their admiration and respect for the legendary legal force. In South Carolina’s 5th District, however, Ginsburg’s passing prompted the resurfacing of comments made by Representative Ralph Norman in 2018.
ABC News reports that in his opening remarks of the 2018 5th Congressional District debate, Norman joked, “Did y’all hear the latest, late-breaking news from the Kavanaugh hearings? Ruth Bader Ginsburg came out [saying] that she was groped by Abraham Lincoln.”
Norman later defended his comments, tweeting that “people really need to learn to lighten up.”
Moe Brown, the Democratic challenger for South Carolina’s 5th Congressional District, released a campaign video highlighting Norman’s 2018 comments and his lackluster career in Congress following the passing of Ginsburg in September.
Despite Brown’s capitalization on the resurfacing of Norman’s insensitive comments, the matter has received next to zero coverage from local media outlets like the Rock Hill Herald or Lancaster News, representing a larger trend of little press for the Democratic campaign.
While the campaigns of U.S. Senate candidate Jaime Harrison and U.S. House candidate Adair Ford Boroughs have rightfully gained momentum in the press, Brown’s campaign has not been covered with any real depth despite a looming election only twenty-two days away.
Regardless of this lack of coverage, Brown’s campaign has remained strong as the former Gamecock football player has worked to spread his vision to his constituents. Throughout his campaign, Brown has earned endorsements from some of the top names in politics, including Senator Cory Booker, Majority Whip James E. Clyburn, former presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, State Representative Mandy Powers Norrell, and former S.C. Governor Jim Hodges.
While it is safe to assume that Brown will continue to be neglected by both local and national media outlets beyond being mentioned on informational ballot guides, the Democratic candidate’s messaging on economic recovery and healthcare expansion remains popular with South Carolina voters. With this messaging in mind, as well as the resurfacing of Norman’s insensitive comments about the late Justice Ginsburg, the race in the 5th Congressional District is shaping up to be more competitive than the Republican incumbent would like to admit.