The Political Beat Candidate Guide: South Carolina’s 5th Congressional District

South Carolina’s 5th Congressional District includes much of the north-central part of the state, including York County. Lancaster County and parts of Rock Hill.

Mallory Dittmer (D)

What policies will you advocate for to bring down costs for South Carolinians?

We are in the midst of a cost of living emergency that requires practical solutions to make life more affordable for District 5 families and give them room to get ahead. I’ll focus on economic and trade policies that help bring inflation under control and make everyday essentials more affordable. I’ll support ending the war in Iran and bringing down the price of gas and diesel. And I’ll fight to reverse the adverse effects of the tariff wars to bring down the cost of groceries, as well as necessities for South Carolina’s family farms.

I’ll work to make health care more affordable by increasing competition and transparency in medical services, prescription drugs, and insurance. And, I’ll fight to reward hard work through tax relief for working- and middle-class families, expanding job training and skills development, helping small businesses create higher-paying jobs, and providing tax credits or other support to make child care more affordable.

These changes will only be possible with a change in Congress, by electing candidates like me who are committed to putting people over politics and delivering solutions for the people we serve.

Is it time for the Iran War to end?

Absolutely. It’s time to end the war in Iran because continued fighting costs innocent lives, destroys critical infrastructure, disrupts global markets, drives up costs here at home and risks escalating into a wider regional conflict.

Endless war is not an option. What this critical moment demands is tough, verifiable diplomacy backed by strong sanctions, credible deterrence and accountability for Iran’s leaders — not blank checks or reckless escalation. We can be strong without being careless – Congress should advocate for peace through diplomacy, responsible defense spending, and fewer American families worrying that their loved ones will be sent into another open-ended war.

Where do you stand on the Protect College Sports Act?

I believe in fairness, and I want college sports to remain about students, scholarships, and opportunity. The Protect College Sports Act is a practical bipartisan effort to replace conflicting state rules with national standards for athletes’ name image and likeness rights, stop the spending arms race that favors the most prosperous schools, and make sure sports programs can thrive for the next generation. I am supportive of those core goals and would simply urge Congress to consider the narrowly tailored amendment proposed by Clemson, UNC and two other schools to increase the conference cap from 20 schools to 22 and remove the requirement that schools moving between conferences remain independent for three years.

What issue do you want to work on with the other political party?

Frankly I cannot think of an issue facing our country today on which I would NOT want to work in a bipartisan fashion, nor an issue that wouldn’t benefit from an inter-party collaborative effort. The entirely too common hyper-partisan “them vs. us” mentality, which can be found on both sides of the aisle, is the primary reason why Congress gets so little done for the people it is elected to serve. I’d welcome the opportunity to work with a coalition of Democrats, Republicans and Independents on affordability, health care, reducing the deficit, foreign affairs, immigration, social security, energy, the environment and more.

What separates you from your opponent?

The choice for voters in the 5^th district could not be more clear:

My opponent is a career politician. I am not — I’m a mother, a teacher’s wife, and a businesswoman who got into this race because career politicians are the problem, not the solution.

My opponent boasts that he’ll be in lockstep with the President and the far-right flank of the Republican Party – another “yes man” for failed policies that are making everyone’s lives more difficult. I’m an independent thinker who will be in lockstep with the needs of communities across SC-5 and will answer only to you.

My opponent has accepted more than $325,000 dollars from big corporate donors, PACs and party bosses – he is now beholden to them. My grassroots campaign is funded by small donors — I’m not beholden to anyone but the people who elect me to represent them — and that’s how it should be!