William Timmons

SPARTANBURG — Courtney McClain is no stranger to South Carolina politics.

At just 19, the Spartanburg native became a political organizer. Then she served as president of the South Carolina NAACP Youth and College Division. By age 21, she had testified in the Statehouse on gun violence, education, criminal justice reform, voting rights and women’s reproductive rights.

Now, at 25, McClain is running for Congress in South Carolina’s 4th District, a reliably red seat held by incumbent Republican William Timmons since 2019.

McClain is the first Black woman to run for Congress in the district and one of the youngest people to run for Congress in the Palmetto State. If elected, she would be the first Black woman elected to Congress in South Carolina.

While some might view her background as a disadvantage, she disagrees.

“In this race, being a woman is not a weakness, being Black is not a setback, and being young does not mean that my experience counts any less,” she told volunteers and supporters March 18 at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church in Spartanburg.

Like many Democrats heading into the midterms, McClain’s campaign is focused on affordability. If elected, she pledged to expand access to health care, make housing more affordable, invest in public schools, strengthen infrastructure and shore up voting rights protections.

She’s also focused on an issue that is top of mind in Spartanburg: stopping AI data centers, a hot-button topic after residents resoundingly rejected a $3 billion data center proposal last month. McClain has spoken at meetings and directly with county council members on the issue multiple times.

When asked about McClain’s challenge for the seat, which represents much of Greenville and Spartanburg counties, Timmons told The Post and Courier the 4th District stands for “common sense leadership that protects our values and delivers results.”

Timmons faces a Republican challenger, David Atchley, in the June 9 primary before the Nov. 3 general election. If reelected, he said this next term will be his last.

“While the Democrat on the ballot in November looks to radical progressives like AOC and Ilhan Omar, our families know what works,” he said in a text message. “I look forward to continuing to work with President Trump to keep South Carolina strong and secure.”

McClain acknowledges she faces an uphill battle. A Democrat hasn’t represented Greenville and Spartanburg since 1986. Timmons trounced Democratic challenger Kathryn Harvey by a 23-point margin in 2024, a particularly successful year for Republicans.

But this year, Democrats nationwide see opportunity for gains. Democrats have flipped 28 seats since Trump's election, including in red states like Texas, Louisiana and Florida. The party is also trending ahead on generic ballots, according to a number of recent polls.

In her speech, McClain recalled Greenville’s late Jesse Jackson, who ran for president and at one point came close to securing the nomination.

“In 1988, he dared to step into a space that was not built for him, and in doing so, he opened the door for many that came after him,” McClain said.

“In 2026, I am proud to walk through that door as the first Black woman running for the seat in this district. … And I'm challenging a system that says that someone who looks like me could not win,” she added.