# 2017 South Carolina's 5th congressional district special election

"none" is preferred when the title is already sufficiently detailed; see [[WP:SDNONE]]
Elections in South Carolina :
Federal government
U.S. President
1788-89
1792
1796
1800
1804
1808
1812
1816
1820
1824
1828
1832
1836
1840
1844
1848
1852
1856
1860
1868
1872
1876
1880
1884
1888
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
Rep
Dem
2004
Dem
2008
Dem
Rep
2012
Rep
2016
Dem
2020
Dem
2024
Dem
Rep
U.S. Senate
1897
sp 1898
1902
1903
1907
1908
1909
1913
1914
1918
sp 1918
1920
1924
1926
1930
1932
1936
1938
sp 1941
1942
1944
1948
1950
1954
1956
1960
1962
1966
sp 1966
1968
1972
1974
1978
1980
1984
1986
1990
1992
1996
1998
2002
2004
2008
2010
2014
sp 2014
2016
2020
2022
2026
2028
U.S. House of Representatives
1788
1790
1793
1794
1796
1798
1800
1803
1804
1806
1808
1810
1812
1814
1816
1818
1820
1823
1824
1826
1828
1830
1833
1834
1836
1838
1840
1843
1844
1846
1848
1850
1853
1854
1856
1858
1860
1868
1870
1872
1874
1876
1878
1880
1882
1884
1886
1888
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
7th 1901
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
4th 1915
1916
1918
6th 1919
7th 1919
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
4th 1953
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1st 1971
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2nd 2001
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
1st 2013
2014
2016
5th 2017
2018
2020
2022
2024
List of specials :
State offices
General elections
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
Gubernatorial elections
1865
1868
1870
1872
1874
1876
1878
1880
1882
1884
1886
1888
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1930
1934
1938
1942
1946
1950
1954
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
2026
State Senate elections
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
State House elections
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024 :
Ballot measures
2006
Amendment 1
2008
2010
2012
2014 :
Charleston
Mayoral elections
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023 :
Columbia
Mayoral elections
2005
2009
2010
2013
2017
2021 :
Rock Hill
Mayoral elections
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023 :
Greenville
Mayoral elections
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023 :
vte :
A special election was held on June 20, 2017, to determine the member of the United States House of Representatives for South Carolina's 5th congressional district. Representative Mick Mulvaney was nominated by President Donald Trump as director of the Office of Management and Budget and confirmed by the United States Senate on February 16, 2017, necessitating his resignation from the House of Representatives.
State Representative Ralph Norman narrowly defeated Archie Parnell, a senior advisor for Goldman Sachs, 51.0% to 47.9%, in a low-turnout election.

## Republican primary
### Candidates
#### Declared

* Chad Connelly, former chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party
* Ray Craig, international ministry aid worker
* Sheri Few, education activist, candidate for Superintendent of Education in 2014 and state house candidate in 2006, 2008 and 2010
* Tom Mullikin, attorney and commander of the South Carolina State Guard
* Ralph Norman, state representative
* Tommy Pope, state representative
* Kris Wampler, attorney

#### Declined

* Penry Gustafson, former businesswoman and community advocate of Camden, SC
* Gary Simrill, state representative

### Endorsements

* Trey Gowdy, U.S. representative
Individuals
* Ted Cruz, senator from Texas
* Jim DeMint, former senator from South Carolina
* Nikki Haley, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
* Scott Walker, governor of Wisconsin
* Joe Wilson, U.S. representative
Organizations
* Club for Growth Action, conservative super PAC
* Jeff Duncan, U.S. representative
* Al Simpson, chief of staff to former U.S. representative Mick Mulvaney

### First round
#### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Chad Connelly | Sheri Few | Tom Mullikin | Ralph Norman | Tommy Pope | Kris Wampler | Other | Undecided |
| Atlantic Research and Media of North Carolina* | February 25, 2017 | 239 | ± 6.2% | 1% | 9% | 8% | 11% | 19% | 0% | — | 51% |
| Remington Research Group | January 7–8, 2017 | 778 | ± 3.4% | 9% | — | — | 9% | 25% | — | 6% | 52% |
*Internal survey for the Sheri Few campaign

#### Results

South Carolina's 5th congressional district special election Republican primary, 2017 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Tommy Pope | 11,943 | 30.4% |
| | Republican | Ralph Norman | 11,808 | 30.1% |
| | Republican | Tom Mullikin | 7,759 | 19.8% |
| | Republican | Chad Connelly | 5,546 | 14.1% |
| | Republican | Sheri Few | 1,930 | 4.9% |
| | Republican | Kris Wampler | 197 | 0.5% |
| | Republican | Ray Craig | 87 | 0.2% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 39,270 | 100.00% |

### Runoff
#### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Ralph Norman | Tommy Pope | Undecided |
| Trafalgar Group | May 8–10, 2017 | 1000+ | ± 3.1% | 46% | 45% | 9% |

#### Results

South Carolina's 5th congressional district special election Republican primary runoff, 2017 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Ralph Norman | 17,823 | 50.31% |
| | Republican | Tommy Pope | 17,602 | 49.69% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 35,425 | 100.00% |

## Democratic primary
### Candidates
#### Declared

* Alexis Frank, recent college graduate and Army veteran
* Les Murphy, United States Marine Corps veteran
* Archie Parnell, Goldman Sachs senior adviser

#### Declined

* John King, state representative
* Thomas McElveen, state senator
* Mandy Powers Norrell, state representative
* Fran Person, nominee for this seat in 2016
* Vincent Sheheen, state senator and nominee for governor in 2010 and 2014

### Results

South Carolina's 5th congressional district special election Democratic primary, 2017 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Archie Parnell | 13,333 | 71.3% |
| | Democratic | Alexis Frank | 4,030 | 21.5% |
| | Democratic | Les Murphy | 1,346 | 7.2% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 18,709 | 100.00% |

## Libertarian Party
### Candidates
#### Nominated

* Victor Kocher

#### Eliminated at convention

The Libertarian Party nominating convention was held on April 1, 2017.
* Bill Bledsoe
* Nathaniel Cooper

## Green Party
### Candidates
#### Nominated

* David Kulma, professor at Winthrop University and musician

## General election
### Candidates

* Victor Kocher (Libertarian)
* David Kulma (Green)
* Ralph Norman (Republican)
* Archie Parnell (Democratic)
* Josh Thornton (American)

### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Ralph Norman (R) | Archie Parnell (D) | Other | Undecided |
| Change Research | June 14–18, 2017 | 872 | ± 3% | 53% | 44% | 3% | – |
| Gravis Marketing | May 19–22, 2017 | 746 | ± 3.6% | 47% | 34% | 3% | 16% |
| Victory Enterprises/Rampart PAC (R) | May 17–18, 2017 | 629 | ± 3.9% | 53% | 36% | – | 11% |

### Results

South Carolina's 5th congressional district special election, 2017 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Ralph Norman | 45,076 | 51.04% | −8.03% |
| | Democratic | Archie Parnell | 42,341 | 47.94% | +9.17% |
| | American | Josh Thornton | 319 | 0.36% | −1.74% |
| | Libertarian | Victor Kocher | 273 | 0.31% | N/A |
| | Green | David Kulma | 242 | 0.27% | N/A |
| | Write-In | Write-in | 65 | 0.07% | +0.31% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 88,316 | 100.0% | |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### County results

Vote breakdown by county :
| | Ralph Norman Republican | Ralph Norman Republican | Archie Parnell Democrat | Archie Parnell Democrat | Total |
| County | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes |
| Cherokee | 3,367 | 61.86% | 2,031 | 37.31% | 5,443 |
| Chester | 1,940 | 45.20% | 2,301 | 53.61% | 4,292 |
| Fairfield | 1,125 | 32.33% | 2,314 | 66.49% | 3,480 |
| Kershaw | 3,720 | 52.53% | 3,299 | 46.59% | 7,081 |
| Lancaster | 6,237 | 55.07% | 4,985 | 44.02% | 11,325 |
| Lee | 632 | 25.54% | 1,825 | 73.74% | 2,475 |
| Newberry | 1,627 | 51.07% | 1,519 | 47.68% | 3,186 |
| Spartanburg | 763 | 70.98% | 302 | 28.09% | 1,075 |
| Sumter | 3,757 | 39.64% | 5,671 | 59.84% | 9,477 |
| Union | 1,436 | 50.35% | 1,397 | 48.98% | 2,852 |
| York | 20,472 | 54.44% | 16,697 | 44.33% | 37,630 |