COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Democrats here took a vital first step in delivering Joe Biden the presidency five years ago.
And there’s even talk of friendlier southern states, like Georgia or North Carolina, leapfrogging South Carolina.
“People are pissed off in South Carolina, they’re pissed off in Texas, they’re pissed off in Indiana.
When Clyburn threw his support behind Biden ahead of the South Carolina primary in 2020, it vaulted him to the nomination and later, the presidency.
“Clearly South Carolina members will want to continue to be first in the calendar for obvious reasons,” the person said.
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA— Five years ago, Democrats in this state made a crucial first move in electing Joe Biden to the presidency. They now wish that their status as an early primary state won’t be threatened by his damaged reputation.
While progressives want to see labor-heavy Nevada lead, there are already indications that some Democrats will return to New Hampshire for the party’s first primary contest. Additionally, there has been discussion about more hospitable southern states, such as North Carolina or Georgia, overtaking South Carolina.
On the fringes of the state party convention on Saturday, national committeewoman Bre Booker-Maxwell stated, “The unfortunate part is that Democrats are saying that, and they think that [South Carolina leading] is a bad part of Biden’s legacy.”.
Before responding, she asked herself why such a decision was made. She questioned sceptically, “The fact that the man ran the second time, and he probably shouldn’t have run?”. “Some people just need to move past their personal problems and any animosities they may have toward Joe Biden. “.”.
As state party insiders hosted two out-of-state governors with clear, but as-yet-unstated, sights on the 2028 nomination, efforts to move past Biden and the unpleasant aftertaste of 2024 began this weekend.
Govs. Every year, the state’s Democratic kingmaker, Rep. Wes Moore of Maryland, hosts the World Famous Fish Fry, where Wes Moore of Maryland and Tim Walz of Minnesota alternately grace the outdoor stage while spectators eat whiting filet on white bread. Clyburn, Jim (D-S. A. ).
As the first person to address the crowd, Walz discussed the mistakes made in the previous cycle and the necessity for Democrats to reach more people outside of a few swing states.
Walz remarked, “I visited the same seven fucking states repeatedly.”. People in South Carolina, Texas, and Indiana are all furious. We must alter our mindset, run for every school board seat, and compete in every district. “”.
The mostly Black guests at the fish fry cheered when Moore, who earlier Friday gave the keynote address at the state party’s Blue Palmetto Dinner, said, “We come from a resilient culture,” and urged them to not back down from a challenge. He then turned his attention to Trump and the devastation his “big beautiful bill” would cause if it were to pass; Moore claimed it would impoverish tens of thousands of children while benefiting the president’s billionaire friends.
The campaign anthem “Boots on the Ground,” sung by South Carolina crooner 803 Fresh, played over loudspeakers as several people in the audience started line dancing after the speeches were over.
It wasn’t the wild event of 2019, when a group of 21 presidential contenders, including Biden, enchanted the crowd with their stump speeches. The event at the EdVenture Children’s Museum on Friday night took place while many Democrats are still feeling the effects of massive electoral losses.
Some long-standing concerns about Biden’s legacy have only been rekindled by his return to the national spotlight, which was accompanied by negative coverage that exposed how members of his inner circle concealed the president’s declining health from the public.
A seasoned Democratic operative and former state party chair Trav Robertson declared, “All this talk about President Biden and what should have, what could have, what might have, is a bunch of bullshit.”. If you want to, we can go on and on about that, but that is the past. South Carolina is a symbol of the future. “.”.
South Carolina, where Black Democrats account for a sizable share of primary voters, was crucial in bringing Biden’s flagging campaign back to life. Prior to the 2020 South Carolina primary, Clyburn threw his support behind Biden, propelling him to the nomination and ultimately the presidency. Biden reciprocated by putting pressure on the Democratic Party to reorganize its conventional nomination schedule by placing the state in the lead-off.
That election scenario, however, was precarious. Biden sapped energy from the 2024 primary by vying for reelection. Party officials are now anticipating that its status as the kickoff state will be revoked.
Nick Sottile, an attorney and executive director of the South Carolina House Democrats, stated that it would be a mistake to act as though Biden is solely to blame for South Carolina’s position at the top, given that this is a discussion that has been going on for 20 years.
Like almost every other Democrat in the state, he emphasizes how many advantages South Carolina offers. The small state with comparatively inexpensive media markets will not only honor a crucial Democratic voting bloc, but also avoid bankrupt campaigns that can reach upstate, midwestern, and coastal regions—a mix of urban, suburban, and rural areas—all on a single tank of gas. Next is the strong defense of South Carolina primary voters’ presidential election history, which includes Bill Clinton in 1992, Barack Obama in 2008, and Joe Biden in 2020, especially when compared to New Hampshire and Iowa.
Sottile continued, “We get it right, and it’s a proven track record.”. “We’re not talking about a single election or candidate. “”.
Many people outside the state don’t feel that way.
According to a veteran of the DNC’s presidential primary selection committee, who was given anonymity to speak about unofficial talks, South Carolina’s current position at the top of the calendar will surely be questioned in the months to come.
For apparent reasons, the individual stated, “South Carolina members will want to continue to be first in the calendar.”. “I believe that since Biden is no longer in office, nobody else will feel obligated to keep South Carolina at the top of the calendar. “”.
Biden may have unwittingly damaged South Carolina’s reputation for the upcoming election cycle, which only heightens the sense of betrayal over his part in bringing in another Trump administration.
Sam Skardon of Charleston stated, “There are people who are just furious about everything that happened in 2024.”.
He acknowledges that he was among the few members of the state party who trusted Biden’s claim to be a “bridge” candidate for the coming generation. He assumed the position of Charleston County Democrats’ chair in March 2023 with the intention of leading a strong primary. Biden declared his intention to run for reelection a month later.
“I think there’s a deeper attachment here than most states’ Democratic Parties have to President Biden, probably as close as Delaware in considering him our own,” Skardon continued. However, I believe that there is also resentment towards Biden for preventing us from presenting ourselves in the best possible light. “.”.
Biden is seen by some as an overly convenient scapegoat for the party’s larger issues. Reversing course on allowing Black voters to choose the party’s nominee could damage the party’s reputation with a bloc that is already turning against it.
“It is a slap in the face … to Black Americans, where people are questioning Joe Biden at this point,” Democratic strategist Antjuan Seawright, who returned to his position as the fish fry’s emcee, said. Joe Biden was the one with the spine, guts, and bravery to say that Black Americans’ opinions should be heard first when choosing presidential candidates. “”.
However, Seawright expressed worries that too many voters in this area think Democrats are outdated.
“I believe trust played a role in Trump’s victory in the previous election cycle,” Seawright continued. Some voters, in my opinion, voted against the Democratic candidate and did not necessarily support Donald Trump. “.”.
Since Biden left the stage, Jaime Harrison, the chair emeritus of the Democratic National Committee and a native of Orangeburg, South Carolina, energized the audience at the Palmetto Dinner by casting the party’s reputation in the state in a favorable light.
He praised Christale Spain, the state’s party chair, who was elected to a second term on Saturday, saying, “We are more organized, we are more energized, and we are more focused than ever before.”. “I will be officially recognized by the South Carolina Republican Party at this time, and 2026 will be a reckoning.”. “.”.
Another South Carolina defender is Amanda Loveday, a Columbia-based Democratic strategist who worked on Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign. She is less hopeful, though, considering that South Carolina’s Democrats, who have long been excluded from the state’s political system, experienced defeats during the previous election cycle.
Loveday claimed, “We lost [state] Senators and House members that we have absolutely no business losing,” including two well-known Black lawmakers. Gerald Malloy and the state representative. James Jefferson.
Last cycle, Republicans took four state Senate seats, reducing the number of Democrats in the chamber to 12. Additionally, Trump’s win in the presidential election was always certain, but he widened his margin by 6 percentage points over 2020.
The idea that North Carolina and Georgia, South Carolina’s neighbors, who have recently seen statewide victories for Democrats, have stronger reasons to defeat South Carolina in the primary calendar is being fueled by all of this.
