The Political Beat Candidate Guide: US House District 5 D

SOUTH CAROLINA — In recent weeks, Congressional districts in South Carolina have been in flux as lawmakers debate whether to redraw the boundaries. As of now, the 5th Congressional District includes all of York, Lancaster and Chester Counties and stretches to Sumter County. Incumbent Congressman Ralph Norman is running for Governor. In the Democratic primary, Andrew Clough is facing Mallory Dittmer. Clough did not respond to our candidate guide. If we get his answers, we will update this story. The winner of this primary will face Republican Wes Climer and Forward Party member Andy Kaplan.

Andrew Clough

Andrew Clough did not respond to our candidate guide. We will update this with her response if we receive it.

Mallory Dittmer

What is your occupation?

My career in business began in the fashion industry, where I learned the art of negotiation and how to manage diverse teams while leading global category expansions for some of the world’s largest fashion brands After 15-years as a corporate retail executive where I rose to the level of Vice President, I felt a deep calling to find more meaningful work. Since 2022, I’ve balanced my own small business with public service, using my brand marketing and management skills to run successful political candidate and advocacy campaigns and to help entrepreneurs launch successful businesses.

Why are you running?

For too long, Washington has been paralyzed by partisan bickering and gridlock while the very real needs of families across District 5 have gone unheard and unmet. I’m running to change that – to help mend our broken politics, bring living costs down, improve access to quality health care and protect public education. I’m running to prioritize people over party and results over rhetoric; to find common-sense solutions that actually make life better for us all.

Change isn’t easy – it will require real conversation, real commitment, and real collaboration but that is what I do best and what I am running to do. I am honored to be a candidate in this race.

What is your top priority?

I’ve spent the past eight months talking to people in the 5th District about their lives and concerns. Their top priority – and therefore my top priority – is the cost of living, from groceries and gas to health care and housing. When families are trapped in a daily struggle to pay the bills, there’s no room for planning, let alone dreaming, for the future.

That’s unacceptable in the wealthiest nation on earth. When I’m in Washington, I’ll prioritize economic and trade policies that curb inflation and lower costs. I’ll support raising the minimum wage, making childcare more affordable, reversing cuts to health care programs and lowering housing prices through government programs and tax incentives.

What should the role of the United States be in Iran?

Iran’s extremist militant leadership has posed a threat to the United States, our allies and the majority of its own people for 47 years. During that time Iran has funded and incubated a proxy network of terrorist groups, moved toward the development of nuclear weapons and destabilized efforts to establish peace in the Middle East. The United States therefore had sound reasons to be on elevated alert and prepared for timely, strategic, and measured action in the event of an imminent threat.

However the action undertaken in Operation Epic Fury has not been strategic or measured, nor has the case been made that it was timely given that the Trump administration announced less than a year ago that we had destroyed Iran’s nuclear capabilities. So we are left with some unanswered questions - “Why this?”, “Why now?,” and “How did we not anticipate the retaliatory response of Iran in closing the Strait of Hormuz?”

In moving our nation into war, the President ignored the War Powers Act and denied Congress their vital role of advice and consent. His stated operational goals and timelines have shifted regularly. The negotiators sent on America’s behalf have little diplomatic experience in the complicated and high-stakes arena of Middle East foreign affairs. And, nearly three months later, there is currently no exit strategy. At this point I believe that the United States’ role should be to orchestrate a diplomatic solution to the Strait of Hormuz closure and going forward to keep Iran from restoring their nuclear capabilities via a combination of sanctions, diplomacy, pressure from regional allies and regular inspections.

What issue are you most aligned with President Trump? What issue do you most disagree with him on?

The national deficit is an issue on which I both align and disagree with the president. Early on, President Trump spoke often about the national deficit and touted ways to address it through economic growth and addressing government inefficiency. In 2025, the deficit grew by $2.7 trillion and is now at an all-time high of $39 trillion – amounting to roughly $114,00 per citizen and exceeding 100% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product. Annually, the U.S. spends more on the interest on the debt ($1 Trillion) than we do on our national defense budget.

I agree that the fiscal path we are on is unsustainable in the long-term. But I depart sharply from the president on the scale and feasibility of his proposed solutions. First by prioritizing tax breaks for the wealthiest among us he shifted the burden of the deficit to small businesses, the middle class, and the poorest Americans. Examples include budget cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and the SNAP program.

Another policy I disagree with is the seemingly random imposition of tariffs. Little was gained and much was lost when President Trump aggressively instituted steep tariffs on foreign countries. The negative impact on our country has included reduced trade volume, lost income in key sectors, and increased government spending such as subsidies to farmers (who are still in dire financial straits despite subsidies, especially here in South Carolina). In reality, the tariff war sent inflation soaring (from 2.8% in February 2025 to 3.8% in April 2026) and has essentially worked as a high tax on both American businesses and citizens.

What sets you apart from your opponents?

We desperately need a new generation of leaders who can think outside the traditional red vs blue and build bridges for the sake of real progress. With years of nonpartisan political advocacy under my belt, I’m uniquely qualified for that role and am in touch with moderate partisans and Independents in a way my opponents simply are not.

I’m not a career politician nor is this my first time on a campaign trail. I’m experienced in the ways that matter most to voters — strong community outreach and grassroots coalition building — and am not a party to the problems we’re experiencing in our state and across the nation due to bad policy and self-serving politicians.

I’m a mother of two young children, a teacher’s wife, an independent thinker, and creative problem-solver. Throughout a rewarding career in the corporate sector, I developed expert negotiating skills and a passion for bringing people and communities together to work toward common goals. In Congress, I’ll work to create a coalition of Democrats, Republicans and Independents that prioritizes people over party and results over rhetoric to find common-sense solutions that make life better for us all.