U.S. House · South Carolina's 5th District
Mallory Dittmer
CandidateD
- Race
- U.S. House · South Carolina's 5th District
- Result
- Wes Climer, projected winner
- Opponent
- Wes Climer (R)
- Research
- Basic
Party linenone
No recorded floor votes — not a current legislator in our records.
Said vs. did4 statements · 0 votes
I'll support raising the minimum wage, making childcare more affordable, reversing cuts to health care programs and lowering housing prices through government programs and tax incentives.
Raise the minimum wage
Compare statements with votes ›On the ballotU.S. House · 5
2026-11-03
| Wes Climer R | challenger |
| Mallory Dittmer D | challenger |
Won the Democratic primary (June 9, 2026) with 55.8% of the vote
Said vs. did
Each documented position next to the recorded floor votes we map to the same issue. Votes are compared one at a time; no overall stance is inferred from them.
I'll support raising the minimum wage, making childcare more affordable, reversing cuts to health care programs and lowering housing prices through government programs and tax incentives.
Says she will support raising the minimum wage.[5]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
reversing cuts to health care programs
Says she will work to reverse cuts to healthcare programs.[5]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
Ensure fair tax and trade policies that lower costs for working families and make billionaires and corporations pay their fair share
Her campaign site calls for fair tax and trade policies that make billionaires and corporations pay their fair share.[6]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
Protect funding for public education and special education by ensuring public, taxpayer funds stay within the public school system
Her campaign site calls for keeping public taxpayer funds within the public school system.[7]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
Biography
Mallory Dittmer, a Democratic Fort Mill business owner and political advocate, lost the November 3, 2026 election for the open U.S. House seat in South Carolina's 5th District to Wes Climer. She worked 15 years in the fashion industry before becoming a business owner, political advocate and founding organizer of a nonpartisan public-education group.[1][2][3][4]
Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.
Dittmer says she was born and raised in the Midwest, splitting time between her mother's home in a Chicago suburb and her father's family farm in southern Indiana. She describes a career of about 15 years in the fashion and retail industry, rising to vice president at age 33 and working with brands including Kate Spade and Coach. After the fashion industry she became a small business owner, according to ABC News 4.[2][3] She moved with her husband, Drew, a public school teacher, to Fort Mill, SC, in 2020; they have two children, according to her campaign website.[2]
Dittmer is a founding organizer of Community Advocates for Public Education York County, a nonpartisan group supporting public education; in 2024 she managed and supported several local campaigns, helping candidates win seven of nine races, according to ABC News 4 reporting on her campaign announcement.[3] She announced her candidacy on September 29, 2025, and WRHI reported on her campaign launch on October 4, 2025. According to WRHI, she opposed the proposed mid-decade congressional redistricting in South Carolina.[3][8][9] Dittmer won the June 9, 2026, Democratic primary over Andrew Clough, and faced Republican state Sen. Wes Climer in the November general election.[9] According to her campaign materials, she ran on cost of living and bipartisan problem-solving.[1][2][3] She received 47.1% of the vote to Wes Climer's 52.8%, according to unofficial results reported by NBC News.[4]
In their own words
Priorities
- Says the top priority she has heard from voters is the cost of living — groceries, gas, healthcare, and housing — and that she will prioritize economic and trade policies to curb inflation and lower costs.[5]
Campaign money$140K raised · 99% from individuals · FEC through 2026-06-30
Totals this cycle
Bars share one scale (raised = full). Cash on hand can include money carried over from earlier cycles.
Who gave
- Individuals $136K
- PACs & committees $100
- Own money & loans $1,209
Largest committee contributions
No direct contributions from PACs or other committees in the FEC’s bulk data.
Direct contributions only; outside spending is not included. Individual donors are itemized in the FEC’s receipts. All itemized receipts ↗ FEC filing ↗
Profile: /people/mallory-dittmer
Compare all 2 candidates side by side ›
Sources cited in this profile
- 1.Mallory Dittmer · Ballotpedia (Candidate Connection survey) Candidate's own words
- 2.About - Mallory Dittmer for Congress SC District 5 · Dittmer for Congress Candidate's own words
- 3.Mallory Dittmer announces bid for South Carolina's 5th Congressional District seat · ABC News 4 (WCIV) News report
- 4.U.S. House · South Carolina's 5th District results 2026 · NBC News News report
- 5.Mallory Dittmer · Ballotpedia (Candidate Connection survey) Candidate's own words
- 6.Economy · Mallory Dittmer for Congress campaign website · 2026-10-03 Candidate's own words
- 7.Education · Mallory Dittmer for Congress campaign website · 2026-10-03 Candidate's own words
- 8.Mallory Dittmer Launches Campaign for South Carolina's 5th Congressional District · WRHI · 2025-10-04 News report
- 9.Mallory Dittmer Wins Democratic Nomination for Congress in South Carolina's 5th District · WRHI News report