He was the Democratic Party's nominee for the June 20, 2017, special election for South Carolina's 5th congressional district of the United States House of Representatives.
[1][4] His family also lived in several places including the U.K., Germany, and Florida, where his father Archie Parnell Sr. was stationed with U.S. Air Force.
[8] Parnell worked as a tax attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice[5] and for the House Ways and Means Committee.
[11][15][16] In March 2017, Parnell announced his candidacy for the position formerly held by Representative Mick Mulvaney of South Carolina, who resigned from his congressional seat to become budget director on Trump administration.
In it, he imitated the fictional character Frank Underwood, who represents what appears to be the South Carolina 5th district in the television show House of Cards.
[24] A Politico analysis attributed Parnell's relatively high vote percentage, given the district and the special election timing, to his humble, positive, and funny ad messages, and his avoidance of standard partisan conflicts and rhetoric.
In addition to his unique advertising and campaign strategy, his close margin has been attributed, in part, to low Republican turnout.
In the ad, he was depicted getting a tattoo, receiving a haircut at a local barbershop, and playing Go Fish with Congressman Jim Clyburn.
[28] On May 21, 2018, an article in Charleston's Post and Courier revealed the discovery of court documents from Parnell's previously undisclosed 1973 divorce.