| State: | South Carolina |
| District Number: | 4 |
| Image Caption: | Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023 |
| Representative: | William Timmons |
| Party: | Republican |
| Residence: | Greenville |
| Population: | 754,482 |
| Population Year: | 2022 |
| Median Income: | $64,879[1] |
| Percent White: | 64.1 |
| Percent Hispanic: | 10.6 |
| Percent Black: | 18.3 |
| Percent Asian: | 2.6 |
| Percent More Than One Race: | 3.7 |
| Percent Other Race: | 0.7 |
| Cpvi: | R+12[2] |
South Carolina's 4th congressional district is a congressional district in upstate South Carolina bordering North Carolina. It includes parts of Greenville and Spartanburg counties. The district includes the two major cities of Greenville and Spartanburg.
The district is one of the most conservative in the state. In the late 20th century, it has been in Republican hands since 1979, aside from a six-year stint by Democrat Liz J. Patterson, the daughter of former Senator Olin Johnston. Even before the Republicans finally took control of the seat, the 4th had been a rather conservative district. Like in most of the state, the old-line Southern Democrats began splitting their tickets as early as the 1940s. However, this area's white conservatives became increasingly willing to support Republicans at the state and local level as early as the 1970s, well before the rest of the state swung Republican. The district is a major destination for presidential candidates in election years, as South Carolina is one of the first states to hold a presidential primary.
Republican William Timmons has represented the district since January 3, 2019. He succeeded Republican Trey Gowdy who did not seek reelection.
From 2003 to 2013, the district included all of Spartanburg and Union counties and parts of Greenville and Laurens counties.
Greenville and parts of Spartanburg counties are entirely within the district.
| Year | Office | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | President | Bush 64–33% | |
| 2004 | President | Bush 65–34% | |
| 2008 | President | McCain 60.6–37.7% | |
| 2012 | President | Romney 62.2–36.2% | |
| 2016 | President | Trump 60.2–34.5% | |
| 2020 | President | Trump 60.4–39.5% |
| Member | Party | Years | Cong ress | Electoral history | District location | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District established March 4, 1789 | ||||||||
| align=left | Thomas Sumter | Anti-Administration | nowrap | March 4, 1789 – March 3, 1793 | Elected in 1788. Re-elected in 1790. Retired. | 1789–1793 "Camden district" | ||
| align=left rowspan=2 | Richard Winn | Anti-Administration | nowrap | March 4, 1793 – March 3, 1795 | Elected in 1793. Re-elected in 1794. Lost re-election. | 1793–1797 "Camden district" | ||
| Democratic-Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1795 – March 3, 1797 | ||||||
| align=left | Thomas Sumter | Democratic-Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1797 – December 15, 1801 | Elected in 1796. Re-elected in 1798. Re-elected in 1800. Resigned when elected U.S. senator. | 1797–1803 "Camden district" | ||
| Vacant | nowrap | December 15, 1801 – January 24, 1803 | ||||||
| align=left | Richard Winn | Democratic-Republican | nowrap | January 24, 1803 – March 3, 1803 | Elected to finish Sumter's term. Redistricted to the . | |||
| align=left | Wade Hampton | Democratic-Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1803 – March 3, 1805 | Elected in 1803. Retired. | 1803–1813 "Orangeburgh district" | ||
| align=left | O'Brien Smith | Democratic-Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1805 – March 3, 1807 | Elected in 1804. Retired. | |||
| align=left | John Taylor | Democratic-Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1807 – December 30, 1810 | Elected in 1806. Re-elected in 1808. Lost re-election and resigned. | |||
| Vacant | nowrap | December 30, 1810 – March 3, 1811 | ||||||
| align=left | William Lowndes | Democratic-Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1811 – March 3, 1813 | Elected in 1810. Redistricted to the . | |||
| align=left | John J. Chappell | Democratic-Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1813 – March 3, 1817 | Elected in 1812. Re-elected in 1814. Lost re-election. | 1813–1823 "Orangeburgh district" | ||
| align=left | Joseph Bellinger | Democratic-Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1817 – March 3, 1819 | Elected in 1816. Retired. | |||
| align=left | James Overstreet | Democratic-Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1819 – May 24, 1822 | Elected in 1818. Re-elected in 1820. Died. | |||
| Vacant | nowrap | May 24, 1822 – December 4, 1822 | ||||||
| align=left rowspan=3 | Andrew R. Govan | Democratic-Republican | December 4, 1822 – March 3, 1825 | Elected to finish Overstreet's term. Re-elected in 1823. Re-elected in 1824. Lost re-election. | ||||
| 1823–1833 "Orangeburgh district": Barnwell, Lexington, Orangeburgh, and Richland counties | ||||||||
| Jacksonian | nowrap | March 4, 1825 – March 3, 1827 | ||||||
| align=left | William D. Martin | Jacksonian | nowrap | March 4, 1827 – March 3, 1831 | Elected in 1826. Re-elected in 1828. Retired. | |||
| align=left rowspan=2 | John M. Felder | Jacksonian | nowrap | March 4, 1831 – March 3, 1833 | Elected in 1830. Re-elected in 1833. Retired. | |||
| Nullifier | nowrap | March 4, 1833 – March 3, 1835 | 1833–1843 | |||||
| align=left | James H. Hammond | Nullifier | nowrap | March 4, 1835 – February 26, 1836 | Elected in 1834. Resigned. | |||
| Vacant | nowrap | February 26, 1836 – December 10, 1836 | ||||||
| align=left | Franklin H. Elmore | Nullifier | nowrap | December 10, 1836 – March 3, 1839 | Elected October 10, 1836 to finish Hammond's term and seated December 19, 1836. Elected the same day in 1836 to the next term. Retired. | |||
| align=left | Sampson H. Butler | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1839 – September 27, 1842 | Elected in 1838. Re-elected in 1840. Resigned. | |||
| Vacant | nowrap | September 27, 1842 – December 17, 1842 | ||||||
| align=left | Samuel W. Trotti | Democratic | nowrap | December 17, 1842 – March 3, 1843 | Elected to finish Butler's term. Retired. | |||
| align=left | John Campbell | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1845 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1843. Retired. | 1843–1853 | ||
| align=left | Alexander D. Sims | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1845 – November 22, 1848 | Elected in 1844. Re-elected in 1846. Re-elected in 1848 but died before next term began. | |||
| Vacant | nowrap | November 22, 1848 – February 12, 1849 | ||||||
| align=left | John McQueen | Democratic | nowrap | February 12, 1849 – March 3, 1853 | Elected to finish Sims's term in the 30th Congress. Elected to finish Sims's term win the 31st Congress. Re-elected in 1850. Redistricted to the . | |||
| align=left | Preston S. Brooks | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1853 – July 15, 1856 | Elected in 1853. Re-elected in 1854. Resigned to gain constituents' support following the caning of Charles Sumner. | 1853–1863 | ||
| Vacant | nowrap | July 15, 1856 – August 1, 1856 | ||||||
| align=left | Preston S. Brooks | Democratic | nowrap | August 1, 1856 – January 28, 1857 | Re-elected to finish his vacant term. Re-elected in 1856 but died before next term began. | |||
| Vacant | nowrap | January 28, 1857 – May 5, 1857 | ||||||
| align=left | Milledge L. Bonham | Democratic | nowrap | May 5, 1857 – December 21, 1860 | Elected to finish Brooks' term. Re-elected in 1858. Re-elected in 1860 but retired due to Civil War. | |||
| District inactive | nowrap | December 21, 1860 – July 18, 1868 | Civil War and Reconstruction | |||||
| align=left | James H. Goss | Republican | nowrap | July 18, 1868 – March 3, 1869 | Elected in 1868. Retired. | 1868–1873 | ||
| Vacant | nowrap | March 4, 1869 – May 27, 1870 | William D. Simpson (D) elected, but not seated. | |||||
Alexander S. Wallace | Republican | May 27, 1870 – March 3, 1877 | Successfully contested election of William D. Simpson. Re-elected in 1870. Re-elected in 1872. Re-elected in 1874. Lost re-election. | |||||
| 1873–1883 | ||||||||
John H. Evins | Democratic | March 4, 1877 – October 20, 1884 | Elected in 1876. Re-elected in 1878. Re-elected in 1880. Re-elected in 1882. Died. | |||||
| 1883–1893 | ||||||||
| Vacant | nowrap | October 20, 1884 – December 8, 1884 | ||||||
| align=left | John Bratton | Democratic | nowrap | December 8, 1884 – March 3, 1885 | Elected to finish Evins's term. Retired. | |||
| align=left | William H. Perry | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1891 | Elected in 1884. Elected in 1886. Re-elected in 1888. Retired. | |||
George W. Shell | Democratic | March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1895 | Elected in 1890. Re-elected in 1892. Retired. | |||||
| 1893–1903 | ||||||||
| align=left | Stanyarne Wilson | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1901 | Elected in 1894. Re-elected in 1896. Re-elected in 1898. Retired. | |||
Joseph T. Johnson | Democratic | March 4, 1901 – April 19, 1915 | Elected in 1900. Re-elected in 1902. Re-elected in 1904. Re-elected in 1906. Re-elected in 1908. Re-elected in 1910. Re-elected in 1912. Re-elected in 1914. Resigned to accept a federal judgeship. | |||||
| 1903–1933 | ||||||||
| Vacant | nowrap | April 19, 1915 – September 14, 1915 | ||||||
| align=left | Samuel J. Nicholls | Democratic | nowrap | September 14, 1915 – March 3, 1921 | Elected to finish Johnson's term. Re-elected in 1916. Re-elected in 1918. Retired. | |||
John J. McSwain | Democratic | March 4, 1921 – August 6, 1936 | Elected in 1920. Re-elected in 1922. Re-elected in 1924. Re-elected in 1926. Re-elected in 1928. Re-elected in 1930. Re-elected in 1932. Re-elected in 1934. Died. | |||||
| 1933–1943 | ||||||||
| Vacant | nowrap | August 6, 1936 – November 3, 1936 | ||||||
| align=left | Gabriel H. Mahon Jr. | Democratic | nowrap | November 3, 1936 – January 3, 1939 | Elected to finish McSwain's term. Also elected to the next full term. Lost renomination. | |||
Joseph R. Bryson | Democratic | January 3, 1939 – March 10, 1953 | Elected in 1938. Re-elected in 1940. Re-elected in 1942. Re-elected in 1944. Re-elected in 1946. Re-elected in 1948. Re-elected in 1950. Re-elected in 1952. Died. | |||||
| 1943–1953 | ||||||||
| 1953–1963 | ||||||||
| Vacant | nowrap | March 10, 1953 – June 2, 1953 | ||||||
Robert T. Ashmore | Democratic | June 2, 1953 – January 3, 1969 | Elected to finish Bryson's term. Re-elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1956. Re-elected in 1958. Re-elected in 1960. Re-elected in 1962. Re-elected in 1964. Re-elected in 1966. Retired. | |||||
| 1963–1973 | ||||||||
James R. Mann | Democratic | January 3, 1969 – January 3, 1979 | Elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1970. Re-elected in 1972. Re-elected in 1974. Re-elected in 1976. Retired. | |||||
| 1973–1983 | ||||||||
Carroll A. Campbell Jr. | Republican | January 3, 1979 – January 3, 1987 | Elected in 1978. Re-elected in 1980. Re-elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1984. Retired to run for governor of South Carolina | |||||
| 1983–1993 | ||||||||
| align=left | Liz J. Patterson | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1987 – January 3, 1993 | Elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1988. Re-elected in 1990. Lost re-election. | |||
| align=left | Bob Inglis | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 1993 – January 3, 1999 | Elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1996. Retired to run for U.S. senator. | 1993–2003 | ||
Jim DeMint | Republican | January 3, 1999 – January 3, 2005 | Elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2002. Retired to run for U.S. senator. | |||||
| 2003–2013 | ||||||||
| align=left | Bob Inglis | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 2005 – January 3, 2011 | Elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Lost renomination. | |||
Trey Gowdy | Republican | January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2019 | Elected in 2010. Re-elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Retired. | |||||
| 2013–2023 | ||||||||
William Timmons | Republican | January 3, 2019 – present | Elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022. | |||||
| 2023–2033 | ||||||||