2017Final resultsSpecial election
2017 special election for South Carolina's 5th District
U.S. House · South Carolina
Ralph Norman (R) won with 51.1% of the vote, defeating Archie Parnell (D) by 3.1 points.
Ralph NormanRepublican · winner
51.1%45,076
Archie ParnellDemocrat
48.0%42,341
Josh ThorntonOther party
0.4%319
Victor KocherLibertarian
0.3%273
David KulmaGreen
0.3%242
88,251 votes
Source: Federal Election CommissionUpdated Oct 3, 2026, 3:20 AM ET
The seat over time
D − R margin in this seat's races around 2017
Races before and after
Source: Past results: 99chambers results archive (MEDSL, Klarner, state election offices)
Polls against the result
- Poll with Parnell ahead
- Poll with Norman ahead
- Result
| Pollster | Dates | Sample | Parnell | Norman | Margin | Adjusted | Miss vs result | Grade | Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Change Research | Jun 16 | 1,001 | 44 | 53 | R+9 | — | −5.9 | B+ | Wikipedia |
| Impact ResearchD-sponsored | May 24 | 401 | 40 | 50 | R+10 | — | −6.9 | C | Wikipedia |
| Gravis Marketing | May 21 | 746 | 34 | 47 | R+13 | — | −9.9 | B− | Wikipedia |
| Victory EnterprisesR-sponsored | May 17 | 629 | 36 | 53 | R+17 | — | −13.9 | C | Wikipedia |
Adjusted: after correcting for the pollster's house effect and likely-voter screens. Miss: the poll's margin minus the result; + means the poll leaned Democratic. Grade: the pollster's accuracy in past elections, A+ to D (pollster ratings).
Source: Each poll's release, via FiveThirtyEight poll listsUpdated Jun 16, 2017
The candidates
Ralph Norman (R)Archie Parnell (D)
Also on the ballot: Josh Thornton (Other party), 0.4%; Victor Kocher (Libertarian), 0.3%; David Kulma (Green), 0.3%