{"id":4402,"date":"2026-08-07T10:07:46","date_gmt":"2026-08-07T10:07:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=4402"},"modified":"2026-08-07T10:07:46","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T10:07:46","slug":"rep-ralph-norman-responds-as-silfab-solar-controversy-enters-sc-senate-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=4402","title":{"rendered":"Rep. Ralph Norman responds as Silfab Solar controversy enters SC Senate race"},"content":{"rendered":"<article><!-- --><!-- --><!-- WPS-5038 -- removed the script from WPS and added the placeholder for trinity player --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- CONTENT --><!--[--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Silfab Solar has fueled political conflict in York County for years. Now, it is entering South Carolina\u2019s U.S. Senate race.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=4401\">Forest Acres challenges mini mart beer permit near Trenholm Park, fearing crime<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The Fort Mill solar-panel plant drew a brief but pointed exchange during Tuesday\u2019s Republican primary debate, when businessman Mark Lynch accused U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman of supporting Silfab and policies that benefited it. Norman dismissed the attack as political, and Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette in a Wednesday social media post objected to being cited in his defense. The dispute gives Norman\u2019s rivals a distinctly local line of attack in York County where he lives and has built his political base.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Lynch brought up Silfab during a question about President Donald Trump\u2019s tariff policies. He accused Norman of advocating for the company, supporting tax breaks and voting against tariffs affecting foreign solar manufacturers. He also made allegations about worker illnesses and environmental harm at the plant. Lynch later attempted to return to Silfab during a question about Social Security, saying he had recently met with Move Silfab, the community group opposing the facility.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Norman called the attack \u201csilly season.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cSilfab was supported by the governor. They were supported by the lieutenant governor,\u201d Norman said during the debate.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>He said the company took over a vacant building and defended efforts to bring \u201cgood-paying jobs\u201d to South Carolina. He also criticized Lynch for not participating in earlier local discussions over the project. In an interview with McClatchy Thursday, Norman said he does not view his role as supporting or opposing individual companies.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t pick winners and losers,\u201d Norman told McClatchy. \u201cI didn\u2019t then, and I\u2019m not going to do it now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<h2>\u2018I don\u2019t support or not support\u2019<\/h2>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Norman said he was not part of the York County Planning Commission, County Council or other local bodies responsible for approving Silfab\u2019s zoning and operations. He said regulators and courts should handle any violations.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t support or not support,\u201d Norman said of Silfab\u2019s current operations. \u201cIf there are violations, they need to be held accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Norman acknowledged hearing about concerns involving chemicals at the facility but said he had not seen evidence beyond the zoning dispute that the company acted improperly. He declined to respond individually to Lynch\u2019s claims about tariffs and incentives, calling the allegations \u201cbogus\u201d and political.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI like Mark Lynch, but he\u2019s wrong on this,\u201d Norman said.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Norman has previously faced criticism from opponents because of his public support for the solar industry and his refusal to intervene against Silfab if it received the required permits. He co-founded the bipartisan Congressional Solar Caucus and hosted a community forum in 2024 after Fort Mill residents raised concerns about the project. Norman has said those actions did not mean he helped recruit, approve or broker the Silfab development.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The issue also created friction with Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette after Norman invoked her during the debate.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Evette wrote on X that she and Norman had never discussed her views or \u201cserious concerns\u201d about Silfab and asked him not to speak on her behalf.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=4398\">Evette on SC gov run: \u2018I don\u2019t play that could have, would have, should have\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Norman stood by his characterization Thursday, saying Evette had not publicly opposed the project when it was approved.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe didn\u2019t oppose it. She was lieutenant governor\u2026 never did she voice her opinion that it shouldn\u2019t be there. I\u2019ll let her explain whether she was secretly against it or secretly for it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<h2>What do York County groups think?<\/h2>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>York County Republican Party Chairman Scott Anderson said there is a segment of local Republicans for whom Silfab is a paramount concern. Some assigned Norman a share of the blame for supporting the project and are unlikely to vote for him in the primary, Anderson said.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>But Anderson said the controversy does not appear to have significantly eroded Norman\u2019s broader support within the county party. Norman received 85% in a recent internal poll of York County GOP members that included nine candidates, Anderson said. Lynch finished second with 6%.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Norman\u2019s showing in York County during the gubernatorial primary also suggests he retains considerable support in his home county. Although he finished third statewide with about 17% of the Republican vote, Norman won York County with roughly 40%, ahead of Evette, who received about 23%. Norman finished third statewide.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, ultimately, I take that to mean that he will, again, despite the Silfab issue, do very well in York County in this primary,\u201d Anderson said.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Anderson also questioned whether Norman should bear responsibility for the underlying permitting dispute. Anderson said he believes York County improperly issued light-industrial permits for what he considers a heavy-industrial operation, but said \u201cit is a stretch to lay blame at Congressman Norman\u2019s feet for this act.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Advocacy group Move Silfab has not endorsed a candidate in the Republican primary, but Scott Jensen, who helps lead the group, said the organization has contacted all candidates. Mark Lynch and U.S. Rep. Russell Fry have been among the most responsive, Jensen said. Lynch has posted most frequently about Silfab. Jensen said he met personally with Fry.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The group has heard from every candidate except Norman, Jensen said, though it remains willing to meet with him.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Jensen said the group is nonpartisan and focused narrowly on stopping what members consider improper heavy industrial activity near Fort Mill schools. He said the group would amplify any candidate who supports its position but is not formally backing Lynch, Fry or anyone else in the primary.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=4397\">Vote on town attorney could set up new clash between Chapin mayor, town council<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--]--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Fort Mill Silfab plant sparked debate in the South Carolina Senate primary as rivals accused Rep. Ralph Norman of supporting the controversial solar facility.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1572,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4402","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interesting"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Rep. Ralph Norman responds as Silfab Solar controversy enters SC Senate race - US Moving Experts<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=4402\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Rep. 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