Election 2020: Candidate Q&A -- U.S. House of Representatives District 5

Posted

This year's race for the U.S. House of Representatives District 5 seat features two people: Moe Brown, a former wide receiver for the University of South Carolina, and Sidney Moore, a retired businessman and customer service representative.

The 5th Congressional District includes all of Cherokee, Chester, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lancaster, Lee, Union and York counties and parts of Newberry, Spartanburg and Sumter counties. All residents who reside in District 5 can vote.

The winner of the Democratic primary will face incumbent U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman.

Statewide partisan primaries will be held June 9. So far, Gov. Henry McMaster has said he does not plan to postpone voting because of COVID-19.

Any registered voter can vote in the primaries. South Carolina does not require voters to declare a party, so voters can choose any party's primary to vote in, but you can only vote in one.

Keep following The Sumter Item in print and online at www.TheItem.com/election2020 for all our coverage of local candidates.

---

Moe Brown

Why are you running? I am running to represent the Fifth District of South Carolina because I love my state, I love my country, and I fear for the direction that our current leadership is taking us. Too often, our elected leaders forget that the public offices they occupy are there to serve the people, not themselves or solely one political party. This has become an all-too-common theme during Ralph Norman's tenure in Congress.

Furthermore, I've experienced first-hand the widening equality gap across our district, state and country over the past two-plus years, and I've witnessed the social and political divides that both our current representative and president have sown. These fractures across our social, economic and political spectrum are unsustainable and threaten the very fabric that our country was built on.

I believe that to fix the glaring problems that we face, it is imperative that we first return to civil discourse among ourselves, from our political leaders to our citizens. We must once again find a way to respect each other, connect through conversation instead of bicker through soundbites and put the people of our district and our country over politics.

Have you run for political office before? This is my first run for political office.

Where in the district do you reside? I currently live in Fort Mill and am a South Carolina native, born and raised.

Current job/profession: I have continued the work I began at the Department of Commerce; however, I have moved to a role with a privately held consulting firm, serving as a director at Maxis, advisers helping companies decide where best to locate their investments here in South Carolina and across the country.

What experience do you have that makes you best fit for the seat? I was born in Belton to a 16-year-old mother. I was raised in a ZIP code where success is hard to come by, and I later became the first in my family to graduate from college, with a double major in finance and marketing. At a young age, I lost my brother and my father.

I have the experience to serve this state because I have lived the experiences of our residents that struggle the most. With the support of family and friends on all sides and a blessing of athletic ability, I was able to make it to the University of South Carolina to play football for Steve Spurrier and receive my degree. But not all our residents have that opportunity, and I will fight that much harder on their behalf because I have lived their experiences.

What challenges/concerns do you see in your district/community, and how do you intend to improve them? The cost of living for the average working American is skyrocketing. Every day, so many Americans are forced to make impossible choices, such as to pay medical bills or a mortgage payment.

Millennials and young adults are suffocating under massive student loans and are struggling to accumulate wealth for big life purchases - such as buying a home - due to the reckless decisions that preceded the Great Recession of 2008.

Our farmers are getting crushed under the weight of tariffs that serve absolutely no purpose. The band aid offered by the current administration is billions of taxpayer-funded bailout dollars for our farmers - this is textbook unsustainable socialism. Going into politics was never part of the plan, but Americans need help now.

If changes necessitate funding, how would you want to move funding around or make it possible? Our current tax system overwhelmingly favors big corporations and the most well-off of our citizens. Unfortunately, Ralph Norman - one of the wealthiest members of Congress - led the charge on the most recent tax bill that cuts taxes even further for the rich but eventually leaves working people to foot the bill. This is just another case of Norman serving himself before serving his constituents.

As a member of Congress, I'll work across the aisle to close archaic tax loopholes for corporations and to find creative and common-sense solutions to create a fair tax code that benefits all Americans, draws down our nation's deficit and puts us on a path to prosperity.

What success have you seen that you want to continue/build on? In my time at the Department of Commerce, I brought over 5,000 jobs and over $1 billion of capital investment to South Carolina, and that's a job I intend to continue in Washington.

What is your vision for the district? The vision that I have for the Sumter area is the same that I have for the entirety of the Fifth District of South Carolina: increased economic opportunity, better access and more affordable health care and vast improvements in our public education system. We must work together as an entire district and state to achieve these goals, but I will be fighting on behalf of every town and resident of my district every day that I serve them in Washington.

Are you actively involved in the community? I have served this state before in a multitude of ways. I'm a member of the USC Board of Visitors, I was president of the Association of Lettermen after my graduation, and I served for six years in the South Carolina Department of Commerce, winning Rural Developer of the Year and helping to bring over 5,000 jobs and nearly $1 billion in new capital investment to our state.

And of course, I was a wide receiver and captain of the University of South Carolina Gamecocks football team under legendary Coach Steve Spurrier.

Why should people vote for you? It's no secret that Congress has become painfully dysfunctional. This is because our political system rewards those who fall toward extreme ends of the political spectrum and aren't truly representative of their districts or constituents. All too often our leaders are focused on policies and initiatives that benefit themselves and their re-election chances, not the people they represent. I am seeking your vote and to become your congressman to put people before political parties and fight on behalf of all members of this district and state.

---

Sidney Moore

Why are you running? I have had a lifelong interest in politics hearkening to an era when it was taboo for people with my background to publicly express a political opinion. Since retiring in 2010, I have become increasingly active. As an activist student at the University of South Carolina in the late 1960s, my initial focus was political diversity and voting rights. Today, the state's Congressional delegation could benefit from a bit more diversity, I believe.

Have you run for political office before? I served on York County Council for two terms in the 1970s. I ran for the U.S. Senate in a 2014 special election and U.S. House of Representatives in 2018.

Where in the district do you reside? Current resident and native of York County.

Current job/profession: I am a retired businessman and customer service representative.

What experience do you have that makes you best fit for the seat? In addition to my lifelong interest in politics, I believe myself to be an exceptional communicator. I am well-read, empathetic and dedicated.

What challenges/concerns do you see in your district/community, and how do you intend to improve them? Wow! The global pandemic has totally redefined the issues as well as scrambling access to resources. It is going to take a lot of creativity and imagination to figure it out.

If changes necessitate funding, how would you want to move funding around or make it possible? N/A

What success have you seen that you want to continue/build on? In my view, we can barely draw from the past for new solutions. Once we reach stability, we will have to assess the measure of our problems then proceed cautiously to rebuild.

What is your vision for the district? My goal would be to make sure that each of the 11 counties that comprise District 5 receives a fair share of assistance. Additionally, I will study what each county has to offer to make life better for us all.

Are you actively involved in the community? I am involved with several groups (though not always as a member), including the York County Democratic Party, Saluda Corridor Business Association and the Rock Hill Branch NAACP. I was awarded the 2020 Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate distinction (not an endorsement).

Why should people vote for you? I believe I have a commonality of experience with the broadest spectrum of people who live in the district. At the same time, I have the skill set that would enable me to do a good job. I am a kind and decent individual.