William Timmons
William Timmons, a Republican former prosecutor who has represented South Carolina's 4th congressional district since 2019, seeks re-election in 2026 against Democrat Courtney McClain.
2026 Races & Market Forecast
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- Born
- April 30, 1984
- Birthplace
- Greenville, South Carolina
- Education
- Christ Church Episcopal School
George Washington University (degree in international affairs and political science)
University of South Carolina (Juris Doctor and master's degree in international studies)
NYU (Master of Science in Cybersecurity Risk and Strategy)
Biography & Campaign Analysis
Background
William Timmons, whose full name is William Richardson Timmons IV, was born on April 30, 1984, and is a native of Greenville. At Christ Church Episcopal School he was the 2001 South Carolina Player of the Year in tennis and won an individual state title in 2002.
Timmons studied at George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs, earning a degree in international affairs and political science while playing Division I tennis.
He later earned a Juris Doctor and a master's degree in international studies from the University of South Carolina, as well as a Master of Science in Cybersecurity Risk and Strategy from NYU.
Career
From 2011 to 2015, Timmons worked in the 13th Circuit solicitor's office, where as an assistant solicitor he prosecuted offenses including domestic abuse, white-collar crime and murder. In 2016 he challenged longtime state senator Mike Fair in the Republican primary for a Greenville-area district, defeating him in the runoff with 65% of the vote, and he served in the South Carolina Senate from 2016 to 2018.
When Republican Trey Gowdy retired from South Carolina's 4th congressional district in 2018, Timmons placed second in a 13-candidate primary and then defeated former state senator Lee Bright in the runoff with 54.2% of the vote.
He won the general election against Brandon Brown with 59.5% and was sworn in on January 3, 2019. Timmons was re-elected in 2020, 2022 and 2024, and in the 2024 primary he won renomination with 51.6% of the vote against state representative Adam Morgan.
He serves on the Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, where he chairs the Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs.
2026 race
William Timmons is seeking re-election in the 4th district, which lies in Upstate South Carolina and takes in Greenville and Spartanburg.
He was re-elected with 59.7% of the vote in 2024, and in January 2026 he pledged to supporters that this would be his last re-election campaign before retiring in 2028.
In the Republican primary, Timmons won renomination with 65.8% of the vote against consulting firm owner David Atchley and mechanical engineer Robert Lee. In the general election on November 3, 2026, he faces Democrat Courtney McClain, a political organizer.