South Carolina Republican fends off hard-right primary challenger

Rep. William Timmons (R-S.C.) has won the Republican primary for his House seat representing South Carolina’s 4th Congressional District, Decision Desk HQ projects. 

The conservative former prosecutor is trying for a fourth term in the lower chamber, but faced a primary challenge from state Rep. Adam Morgan. 

Morgan, who founded the South Carolina state House’s Freedom Caucus, had the backing of the U.S. Freedom Caucus chair Bob Good (Va.), as well as Republican Reps. Matt Gaetz (Florida) and Scott Perry (Pa.) — some of the most conservative members of the lower chamber. 

Timmons boasts a conservative voting record and endorsements from former President Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), but his rival worked to paint him as moderate and criticized him for voting for ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) before his historic ouster from the House leadership role. 

The incumbent, though, outraised Morgan, and now inches closer to securing another term. 

In the fall, he’ll go up against Kathryn Harvey, the Spartanburg County Democratic party chair, who ran unopposed on the Democrat side. But it’s a safe GOP seat, and a forecast from Decision Desk HQ/The Hill puts Timmons with a 99 percent chance of winning a head-to-head with Harvey.