November 3, 2026, ROCK HILL, SC – Mallory Dittmer, 5th District Democratic Congressional nominee, released the following statement following her defeat in the race to State Sen. Wes Climer:
“Being the Democratic Nominee for Congress from South Carolina’s 5th District has been the privilege of a lifetime. I have met so many wonderful people, been welcomed into their homes, listened to their stories and given voice to their hopes and dreams.
My heartfelt gratitude goes out to them, to my amazing family for their love and support, and to nearly a thousand hard working volunteers who supported our campaign for more than a year. What an exceptional year it has been – one in which we witnessed the highest voter turnout in a midterm election in our state.
I am honored that our campaign was a channel for voters of all political parties who were seeking collaboration and affirmed our belief there is more that unites us than divides us. They, like I, believe that reasonable people working together can begin to heal our broken politics.
I congratulate Wes Climer on his victory. In keeping with the bipartisan spirit of cooperation that was the cornerstone of my campaign I offer him my support in any way I might help him better serve the wonderful people of our District. The affordability crisis is real, and I urge him to prioritize relief for working families above all else.
It is now time to put the campaign signs away and turn our attention to the work ahead. There is much we can accomplish together to build a brighter future for our children and our communities. My commitment to that work remains as strong as ever.”
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Thomas Hyslip lives in Tega Cay with his wife and daughter. After 27 years in the U.S. Army and Federal Law Enforcement, he retired to pursue his passion for teaching. Tom is now an Associate Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida. In 2 short years he has won 10 awards from the South Carolina Press Association, including first place in column writing, education beat reporting and best podcast.
