While running for Congress in 2018, Joe Cunningham pledged to voters of the 1st Congressional District of South Carolina that he would put people over politics if elected.  He promised that he would put the 1st Congressional District over political party. However, since being sworn in On January 3, 2019, Congressman Cunningham [D-SC1] has been a reliable vote for the Democratic Party on issues such as guns, the climate, investigations into President Trump, immigration, healthcare, social issues, and voter registration.  Many of these yea votes cast by Cunningham are decidedly outside of conventional, conservative wisdom. 

 It will be difficult for Cunningham to keep his congressional seat in 2020.  In 2018, his opponent, Katie Arrington had alienated many supporters of the then congressman, Mark Sanford.  There was little in the Arrington campaign to find attractive.  It was an old and tired campaign that was insulting and juvenile.  In contrast, the Cunningham team put forward a clean, upbeat message without attacking other people.  As Election Day approached, Cunningham even had republicans in his commercials saying that they voted for Mark Sanford in the past, but in 2018, they’d be voting for Joe Cunningham. 

 In 2020, Cunningham will be disadvantaged by the presidential election as well as a much more effective republican opponent.  Three republicans have already announced their intention to run for the Republican Party nomination to run against Joe Cunningham.  Kathy Landing of Mt. Pleasant, SC and Mike Covert and Logan Cunningham, both of Bluffton, SC will most likely be joined by many more republicans aiming to make the 1st Congressional District of South Carolina RED again.  

 Congressman Cunningham has kept his promise on opposing offshore drilling as well as supporting legislation to benefit veterans.  He has crossed party lines to co-sponsor bills aimed at improving the Veterans Administration [VA] and the services it provides.  He has co-sponsors republican bills that support veterans.  Surely, this will be touted by Cunningham during this campaign cycle as evidence of his bi-partisanship.  Already on his congressional website he highlights that in his first 100 days in office, 66% of cosponsored bills are bipartisan.  Politicians always point to bipartisan support – even if a bill had only 1 vote from the opposing party.  This cheapens the concept of bipartisanship and deceives many voters. 

 Offshore drilling and seismic blast testing are not popular along the coast of South Carolina.   Republican candidate Kathy Landing has already made it abundantly clear that she opposes both.  This was one of the many topics that Katie Arrington stumbled over during her race against Cunningham.  She tried to pull the old I was for it until I was against it move.  Cunningham exploited this Arrington failure expertly. In 2020, expect the republican challenger to be against offshore drilling and seismic blast testing, and for protecting the beaches and coastline.  Also expect the republican to be very vocal regarding veteran affairs – taking away any reason for a republican to vote for Cunningham again. What will follow will be attacks on Cunningham’s liberal voting record.

For example, Cunningham voted in favor of the Equality Act. Some of the highlights of the Equality Act are as follows:

• Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include sexual orientation and gender identity

• Defines gender identity as the gender-related identity, appearance, mannerisms, or other gender-related characteristics of an individual, regardless of the individual’s designated appearance at birth

• Prohibits individuals from being denied access to a shared facility, including restrooms, locker rooms, and dressing rooms, that is in accordance with the individual’s gender identity

It is this highlighted section of the Equality Act that will prove difficult for republicans in the 1st Congressional District of South Carolina to reconcile.  To be blunt: southern conservatives believe that if you have a penis, you should only use restrooms, locker rooms, and dressing rooms designated for men.  And if you have a vagina, you should only use restrooms, locker rooms, and dressing rooms designated for women.  Southern conservatives also dislike liberals trying to change reality with phrases like regardless of the individual’s designated appearance at birth.  They believe a baby is born either a boy or a girl.  The designated appearance isn’t the appearance of gender.  It is the gender.  If a baby has a penis – it’s a boy!  If a baby has a vagina – it’s a girl!   And if a congressman voted in favor of boys using the girl’s locker room because the boy says he identifies as a girl – the congressman is, in fact, a liberal democrat!