Is Timmons Going to Get the Boot? Polls Suggest Yes.

Are voters ready to kick William Timmons out of Congress? Based on recent polling in South Carolina's 4th Congressional District, it appears that way. Forty-five percent of Upstate voters "think it's time for someone new" to replace Timmons in Congress. 

In a poll commissioned by Kathryn Harvey's campaign for Congress, the Public Policy Polling firm found that just 37% of voters think Timmons should be reelected. Timmons, who is currently serving his third term in Congress, was first elected in 2018, and he did not have a Democratic challenger in 2022. Timmons is your usual far-right legislator without any real policy proposals to help advance South Carolina or the nation. A search of Congress.gov shows that Timmons has only sponsored 20 bills and that only one has been passed: the renaming of an outpatient VA clinic in Greenville. Clearly, he's unserious and out of touch with what his constituents need. His campaign website shows one of his "issues" is to "uphold integrity of our elections." First, we know that election fraud isn't an actual problem in this country and second, he was one of the House Republicans contesting the results of the 2020 election without any basis in reality. He doesn't care about election integrity if he is willing to sign on to an amicus curiae brief supporting false election claims. And, of course, one of the most significant issues in this upcoming election will be reproductive rights, and he describes himself as "actively supporting pro-life legislation."

Luckily, voters in the Upstate have an option for this election. There is a pro-choice Democrat in the race. Kathryn Harvey is a Spartanburg native and the current chair of the Spartanburg County Democratic Party. She has over a decade of global nonprofit experience working for the organization behind Sesame Street. Not only that, but she has worked locally to support nonprofit and advocacy organizations in the Upstate. Harvey is running on key issues for voters, including reproductive rights, protecting public education, and access to affordable healthcare.

Based on polling, voters are ready for a change and ready to send someone to Washington who will actually prioritize their best interests. Timmons co-sponsored legislation that threatens access to IVF, and he supports a nationwide abortion ban; according to the poll, 45% of voters are more likely to support a candidate who protects access to these healthcare services. While Trump carried the Upstate in the 2020 election, Timmons received a smaller portion of the vote, and 39% of voters said they would be open to ticket-splitting, meaning they are open to voting for candidates of different parties for SC-04 and the presidential race. 

Democrats have put up strong candidates across South Carolina, and with the current political optimism among voters, we could send several incumbents packing and may have a new Congresswoman in Kathryn Harvey.