South Carolina Republican Jeff Duncan Leaving U.S. House After Seven Terms
Duncan becomes the 5th retirement from a House Republican this month.
Representative Jeff Duncan of South Carolina, a Republican, has today announced that he will not seek an eighth term representing the state’s 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He revealed the news in a statement released on X (formerly Twitter).
Duncan, 58, is the 40th retirement from the U.S. House of Representatives for the upcoming 2024 cycle - 22 Democrats and 18 Republicans. Notably, Duncan is the fifth House Republican to announce their retirement this month - following Larry Bucshon and Greg Pence of Indiana, Doug Lamborn of Colorado, Blaine Luetkemeyer of Missouri, and John Curtis of Utah.
Duncan has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since January 2011. South Carolina’s 3rd District covers the western area of the state - bordering both Georgia and North Carolina. It takes in Abbeville, Anderson, Edgefield, Greenwood, Laurens, McCormick, Oconee, Pickens and Saluda Counties as well as parts of Greenville and Newberry Counties.
Prior to his political career, Duncan operated a real estate marking firm that specialized in statewide auctions. From January 2003 to January 2011, he represented District 15 in the South Carolina House of Representatives. In 2010, he entered the Republican primary for the 3rd District to succeed Gresham Barrett, who was leaving to run unsuccessfully for Governor of South Carolina. He finished second in the primary before pulling off a slim victory in the runoff. In every general election, he always easily secured over 62% of the vote. He was elected to his now final term in office unopposed in 2022.
For the 118th Congress, Duncan serves on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Furthermore, he chairs the Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security.
No candidates have yet announced campaigns for either the Democratic or Republican nominations to succeed Duncan in the U.S. House of Representatives. However, the district is the most Republican in the state’s delegation. That will ensure a competitive Republican primary. The filing deadline to appear on the June primary ballot is April 1.
Under the current lines, Donald Trump won South Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District with a 68-31 finish against Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. That came as Trump was carrying the state 55.11-43.43 in his ultimately unsuccessful national campaign.