William Timmons ekes out win over challenger Adam Morgan in District 4 GOP primary (2024)

GREENVILLE — Incumbent U.S. Rep. William Timmons narrowly fended off State Rep. Adam Morgan to hold his place as the Republican nominee for the District 4 seat he has held for the past six years.

Timmons secured the close race with 36,502 votes compared to Morgan’s 34,235, according to unofficial election results from Greenville and Spartanburg counties finalized just before midnight June 11.

Capping off a race full of tit-for-tat jabs, specter of scandal and a blurred line between fact and fiction, the three-term congressman faced a stiff primary challenge from the ultraconservative S.C. Freedom Caucus chairman.

The Upstate district encompasses both Greenville and Spartanburg counties. Timmons won Spartanburg County by a large enough margin to cover up a 2,000-vote loss in Greenville County.

Now Timmons will face Democratic candidate Kathryn Harvey and Constitution Party candidate Mark Hackett in the general election in November.

Timmons, who said he had to fly back to Washington, D.C., to cast Congressional votes instead of being in the district, thanked voters for seeing through Morgan’s “countless lies.”

“In Washington I am focused on policy not headlines, on representing my constituents not myself, and working with my colleagues instead of working against them,” Timmons said in a statement. “I am grateful to have the support of President Trump and proud to have the opportunity to continue to represent South Carolina’s Fourth District.”

Hailing the endorsem*nt of former President Donald Trump, who many candidates look to for an influential campaign push, Timmons broke through the viral rhetoric that had amplified Morgan’s campaign.

Timmons touted Trump’s endorsem*nt throughout his campaign, soon after calling on Morgan to drop out because he doesn’t have the former president’s support.

In the final week of the campaign, Trump reiterated his endorsem*nt as Timmons had promised during a debate last month.

In a speech ahead of the final results, Morgan thanked those who attended his election watch party but hesitated to concede early.

“It’s a humbling experience,” Morgan said of running for office. “I am so grateful to God for getting us through it.”

Morgan went viral after a video of him speaking aloud about representing his constituents over big business got traction in Republican online circles, including a crucial repost by Florida U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz.

Gaetz came to rally for Morgan in Greenville soon after, further accelerating the impact of a video that has since netted over 1.6 million views.

The state representative then turned toward Timmons, unearthing a video of him that he claimed showed support for diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in Congress.

Striking back, Timmons brought up a vote that Morgan made in favor of jailing women who perform abortions on themselves.

Timmons was presented with uncharted territory this cycle, gauging how voters would respond to allegations of infidelity that were unearthed just weeks after he narrowly avoided a runoff in 2022.

He was at a loss for words when he addressed the situation for the first time this season at an election forum, acknowledging it but not saying much more.

Then, in a TV debate between the duo that quickly turned fiery, Morgan alluded to the scandal.

“The fact that we’re at a place in our politics where somebody has to go and create a website about attacking their opponent and attacking their integrity,” Morgan said. “I have to say, you don’t want this election to be about integrity.”

Timmons has never lost an election. In his first run for political office as a state Senate candidate in 2016, he beat incumbent Michael Fair in a District 6 runoff. Then in 2018, he narrowly beat out Lee Bright in a Republican primary runoff for the 4th District, winning the Congressional office that November.

Morgan had previously said that he would join the House Freedom Caucus if he won, something that Timmons had dismissed as only making it more difficult for legislative progress.