Ralph Norman | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait, 2017 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromSouth Carolina's5th district | |
| Assumed office June 20, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Mick Mulvaney |
| Member of theSouth Carolina House of Representatives from the 48th district | |
| In office November 3, 2009 – February 16, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Carl Gullick |
| Succeeded by | Bruce M. Bryant |
| In office January 2005 – January 2007 | |
| Preceded by | Becky Richardson |
| Succeeded by | Carl Gullick |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ralph Warren Norman Jr. (1953-06-20)June 20, 1953 (age 72) |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | Presbyterian College (BS) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | House website Campaign website |
Norman honoring Grover Fewox, a deceasedWorld War II veteran. Recorded September 27, 2018. | |
Ralph Warren Norman Jr. (born June 20, 1953) is an American politician andreal estate developer who has served as theU.S. representative forSouth Carolina's 5th congressional district since 2017.[1] His district includes most of theSouth Carolina side of theCharlotte metropolitan area, along with outer portions ofthe Upstate andMidlands. A member of theRepublican Party, Norman served as theSouth Carolina state representative for the 48th district from 2005 to 2007 and from 2009 to 2017.
Norman won aspecial election afterMick Mulvaney vacated his seat in Congress upon being appointed director of theOffice of Management and Budget by PresidentDonald Trump. As of 2019, with a net worth of $18.3 million, Norman is the 28thwealthiest member of Congress.[2] Govtrack.us ranked Norman as the most conservative member of the 117th Congress as of February 2023.[3]
He advocated for the implementation ofmartial law to prevent the peaceful transfer of power to President-electJoe Biden in January 2021.[4][5]
Norman was born inRock Hill, South Carolina, on June 20, 1953.[6] He received aBachelor of Science degree in business fromPresbyterian College in 1975.[6]
Norman resides inRock Hill, where he is a real estate developer at the Warren Norman Company, a business founded by and named after Norman's father.
In 2004, Norman was elected to serve District 48 in the South Carolina House of Representatives, winning a three-way Republican primary outright with 52% of the vote. After one term, Norman chose not to run for reelection so he could become the 2006 Republican candidate for U.S. Congress inSouth Carolina's 5th congressional district againstJohn Spratt.[7] He lost to Spratt.
On November 3, 2009, Norman defeated Democrat Kathy Cantrell in a special election to reclaim his old seat.[8]
In December 2016, PresidentDonald Trump nominatedMick Mulvaney for Director of theOffice of Management and Budget (OMB).[9] At the time, Mulvaney representedSouth Carolina's 5th Congressional District in theUnited States House of Representatives. Shortly after the nomination, and in anticipation that Mulvaney's seat in Congress would be vacated once theUnited States Senate confirmed him, Norman announced his intention to resign from the South Carolina House of Representatives to run for Congress.[10][11][12]
On May 16, 2017, Norman won a Republican primary runoff election againstTommy Pope by a margin of 0.6%, triggering an automatic recount per South Carolina state law.[13][14] Following that recount, the South Carolina State Election Commission certified Norman as the Republican nominee on May 19, 2017. With 35,425 votes cast, Norman received 17,823 to Pope's 17,602, a 221-vote difference.[15]
Having secured the Republican nomination, Norman faced Democratic nomineeSumter attorneyArchie Parnell in aspecial election on June 20. Norman received 51.0% of the vote to Parnell's 47.9%.[16]
Norman was sworn into office on June 26, 2017.[17]
On March 19, 2018, Norman filed for reelection with the South Carolina Election Commission.[18] Facing no primary challengers, he secured the Republican party nomination after the primary election on June 12.[19]
Meanwhile, Parnell chose to run again forSouth Carolina's 5th Congressional District seat.[20] He defeated three opponents to win the Democratic nomination, and faced Norman again in the general election.[21]
The general election was on November 6. Norman wasreelected with 57.0% of the vote to Parnell's 41.5%.[22] State and national Democrats had distanced themselves from Parnell after news broke that he had abused his first wife.[23]
Norman filed for reelection on March 16, 2020.[24] He secured the Republican nomination after facing no Republican challengers in the primary election on June 12.[25]
Norman went on to defeat Democrat Mauricus "Moe" Brown in thegeneral election on November 3. He received 60.1% of the vote to Brown's 39.9%.[26]
In2022 and2024, he faced and defeated Democratic nominee Evangeline Hundley.[27][28]
As of the117th Congress, Norman voted with PresidentJoe Biden's stated position 2% of the time according to aFiveThirtyEight analysis.[29]
In 2024, he became the target of protests from members of his district over the controversial plan for Canadian solar panel manufacturer Silfab Solar, Inc. to build a solar panel manufacturing plant in Norman's district.[30] The controversy stems around the Canadian company's plan to use the toxic gasSilane at a site zoned by theYork County Zoning Board as "Light Industrial". The proposed site sits adjacent to an elementary and middle school,[31] prompting fears there would not be time to evacuate thousands of children in time.[32] The York County Board of Zoning Appeals ruled unanimously that York County staff erred and solar panel and cell manufacturing is prohibited, reversing York County staff’s interpretation on May 9, 2024. Silfab appealed the York zoning vote, though the county has asserted they don't have to, in violation of the order of the Board of Zoning appeals decision.[33][34]
Norman became a target of the protest due to his founding of the Bipartisan Congressional Solar Caucus with Illinois DemocratRaja Krishnamoorthi.[35]
On September 20, 2018, at an election debate for the Republican nomination, Norman joked aboutsexual assault allegations againstSupreme Court nomineeBrett Kavanaugh. He kicked off the debate by asking the audience, "Did y'all hear this latest late-breaking news on the Kavanaugh hearings? ...Ruth Bader Ginsburg came out saying she was groped byAbraham Lincoln."[36]
At a public meeting for constituents on April 6, 2018, Norman engaged in a conversation with representatives fromMoms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America (MDA).[37] During that conversation, he placed his.38-caliberSmith & Wessonhandgun on the table to illustrate his belief that "gun violence is a spiritual, mental or people issue, not a gun issue."[37] According to Norman, the loaded firearm was visible for "maybe a minute, or two minutes" and was never pointed at any individual,[38][39] but MDA representatives who were seated at the table with Norman said the firearm was visible for "five to 10 minutes" and that they felt unsafe.[39][40] Norman holds aconcealed weapons permit issued by South Carolina.[41]
The incident sparked widespread criticism of Norman.[42] On April 9, 2018,South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Trav Robertson wrote theSouth Carolina Law Enforcement Division a letter requesting felony charges against Norman for his conduct.[43] The case was originally assigned to South Carolina 16th Solicitor Kevin Brackett, but Brackett recused himself, citing a "personal friendship" with Norman.[44] The issue was then forwarded toSouth Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, who declined to press charges, stating that Norman's actions did not "warrant a criminal investigation" or constitute "a prosecutable offense."[45][46]
In late February 2021, Norman and a dozen other Republican House members skipped votes andenlisted others to vote for them, citing the ongoingCOVID-19 pandemic. But he and the other members were actually attending theConservative Political Action Conference, which was held at the same time as their slated absences.[47] In response, theCampaign for Accountability, an ethics watchdog group, filed a complaint with theHouse Committee on Ethics and requested an investigation into Norman and the other lawmakers.[48]
In 2021, Norman was elected chair of theConservative Opportunity Society.[49]
In 2021, Norman violated House rules by not wearing aface mask in the House Chamber and was fined $500 as provided by the rules. Despite committing the infraction, he and two other Republican lawmakers suedSpeakerPelosi over the incident. Norman tested positive for COVID-19 on August 5, 2021, and reported that he had been fully vaccinated and had only mild symptoms.[50]
In August 2022, Norman criticized PresidentJoe Biden for forgiving up to $10,000 of student loan debt for eligible borrowers. Norman was criticized for hypocrisy because he had $306,520 of debt from hisPPP loan forgiven.[51]
Norman supported the inquiry into an impeachment of Joe Biden, and said on the House floor that Biden would need to "prove" his innocence:
The evidence, I think, as things come out, will finally show what the trail is, and the fact that there are consequences. You cannot just say you are innocent and not have to prove it.[52]
In 2019, Norman joined a small group of House Republicans who sought to reinstate RepresentativeSteve King on House committees.[53] King had lost his committee positions due to a series of racist andwhite nationalist remarks.[54] The group includedLouie Gohmert andPaul Gosar.[53] King was not reinstated.
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Norman was described as a Trump ally during Donald Trump's presidency.[55] After Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election and Trump made claims of election fraud, Norman called for an investigation into fraud.[56]
On October 31, 2019, Norman voted with his fellow Republicans in opposition to a resolution outlining rules forthen-ongoing impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump.[57][58] On December 18, 2019, Norman voted against both of thearticles of impeachment of thefirst impeachment of President Trump.[59][60]
After Trump was impeached for his alleged incitement of apro-Trump mob to storm the U.S. Capitol over false claims of election fraud, Norman criticized RepresentativeLiz Cheney for voting toimpeach Trump. Norman said he was "bothered by Cheney's attitude".[61] Norman himself voted against thesecond impeachment of Trump.[62] On January 17, 2021, Norman sent a text message to White House Chief of StaffMark Meadows asking him to urge President Trump to invokemartial law (misspelling it 'Marshall Law') to prevent the inauguration of Joe Biden.[63][5]
However, Norman endorsed and campaigned for his decades-long allyNikki Haley for president over Trump in the2024 Republican primaries. He was the only member of the U.S. Congress to endorse Haley.[64]
Norman supportedefforts to impeach President Biden. During the117th United States Congress, he co-sponsored two resolutions to impeach Biden.[65][66] He also co-sponsored resolutions to impeach Vice PresidentKamala Harris,[67] Secretary of Homeland SecurityAlejandro Mayorkas,[68] and Secretary of StateAntony Blinken.[62]
In February 2022, Norman co-sponsored the Secure America's Borders First Act, which would prohibit the expenditure or obligation of military and security assistance to Kyiv over the U.S. border with Mexico.[69]
As a member of theUnited States House Committee on Rules, on July 14, 2025, he voted in support of an amendment by CongressmanRo Khanna which would in essence order the release of theJeffrey Epstein files. The amendment, which included the language that "affirms Congress's Article I authority to conduct oversight, demands that the Trump Administration release the Epstein files, calls on the Department of Justice and FBI to submit a report on any delays, suppression, or destruction of evidence related to the files, and supports full transparency and access to these documents in the interest of justice and accountability" was defeated with 8 "nay" votes and 4 "yea" votes.[70][71][72] Explaining why he joined Democrats, Norman said: “The public’s been asking for it. I think there are files. All of a sudden not to have files is a little strange. We’ll see how it plays out… I think the president will do the right thing.”[73]
Subsequently, on September 2, 2025, Norman voted against a resolution calling for a floor vote in the House on the bipartisanEpstein Files Transparency Act. The measure would have allowed the Justice Department to withhold or redact files that “contain personally identifiable information of victims or victims’ personal and medical files and similar files the disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.”[74] Norman said that he preferred to review alternative measures and stated “We’re all for releasing the information and getting this moving forward,” he said.[74] The resolution was defeated on party lines vote with Norman voting in the negative.[75][76]
On July 25, 2025, Norman announced he was running for Governor of South Carolina in the 2026 election.[89]Norman held an formal launch event on July 27 in his district's city of Rock Hill.[90] Norman joined a growing Republican primary field that included Attorney General Alan Wilson, Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette, State Senator Josh Kimbrell, and U.S. Representative Nancy Mace.[91][92]
Norman is campaigning on a platform to "clean up Columbia" and is framing himself as an anti-establishment conservative. Key policy proposals from his campaign launch include passing term limits, improving the state's roads and schools, creating a South Carolina Department of Government Efficiency, and allowing residents to elect judges. Touting his record as a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, his campaign website states he is "100% Pro-Life and 100% Pro-Gun." His platform emphasizes his background as a fiscal conservative with an "appetite for cutting federal spending," pointing to his efforts in Congress to slash public benefits for undocumented immigrants and implement strict work requirements for Medicaid as proof of his commitment to these values.[93][94][95]
Norman and his wife, Elaine, have four children and 17 grandchildren.[96]
Norman is aPresbyterian.[97]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tommy Pope | 11,943 | 30.4% | |
| Republican | Ralph Norman | 11,808 | 30.1% | |
| Republican | Tom Mullikin | 7,759 | 19.8% | |
| Republican | Chad Connelly | 5,546 | 14.1% | |
| Republican | Sheri Few | 1,930 | 4.9% | |
| Republican | Kris Wampler | 197 | 0.5% | |
| Republican | Ray Craig | 87 | 0.2% | |
| Total votes | 39,270 | 100.0% | ||
| Runoff election | ||||
| Republican | Ralph Norman | 17,823 | 50.3% | |
| Republican | Tommy Pope | 17,602 | 49.7% | |
| Total votes | 35,425 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ralph Norman | 45,076 | 51.0% | −8.0% | |
| Democratic | Archie Parnell | 42,341 | 47.9% | +9.2% | |
| American | Josh Thornton | 319 | 0.4% | −1.7% | |
| Libertarian | Victor Kocher | 273 | 0.3% | N/A | |
| Green | David Kulma | 242 | 0.3% | N/A | |
| Write-In | Write-in | 65 | 0.1% | +0.3% | |
| Total votes | 88,316 | 100.0% | |||
| Republicanhold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ralph Norman (incumbent) | 141,757 | 57.0 | |
| Democratic | Archie Parnell | 103,129 | 41.5 | |
| Constitution | Michael Chandler | 3,443 | 1.4 | |
| n/a | Write-ins | 250 | 0.1 | |
| Total votes | 248,579 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ralph Norman (incumbent) | 220,006 | 60.1 | |
| Democratic | Moe Brown | 145,979 | 39.9 | |
| Write-in | 273 | 0.1 | ||
| Total votes | 366,258 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ralph Norman (incumbent) | 154,725 | 64.0 | |
| Democratic | Evangeline Hundley | 83,299 | 34.5 | |
| Green | Larry Gaither | 3,547 | 1.5 | |
| Write-in | 136 | 0.1 | ||
| Total votes | 241,707 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ralph Norman (incumbent) | 228,260 | 63.5 | |
| Democratic | Evangeline Hundley | 130,592 | 36.3 | |
| Write-in | 557 | 0.2 | ||
| Total votes | 359,409 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
December 14, 2023
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromSouth Carolina's 1st congressional district 2017–present | Incumbent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | United States representatives by seniority 184th | Succeeded by |
