The Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary are often nabbing the limelight ahead of the 2024 Republican presidential nomination fight. Yet South Carolina, with its early primary, is taking on an increasingly important role, reflected by former President Donald Trump’s focus there.
Trump, seeking to return to the White House after his 2017-21 Washington stint, has already made several Palmetto State campaign stops. He’s set to return on Saturday, July 1, for a 1 p.m. speech in Pickens. Speaking to residents from Pickens and surrounding communities at the early July 4 event, Trump is likely to have a friendly audience in the conservative northwestern South Carolina community. He still faces plenty of competition from the growing Republican presidential field, fighting for the right to challenge Democratic President Joe Biden in November 2024.
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Trump faces varying degrees of political danger from the crop of Republican candidates. That includes Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND), former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), radio talk show host Larry Elder, former Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX), ex-Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former Vice President Mike Pence, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.
Trump’s biggest South Carolina challenges, though, may be from a native son and daughter of the state, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) and former Gov. Nikki Haley. After Haley’s six-year gubernatorial run, she was the Trump administration’s U.S. ambassador to the United Nations for nearly two years. Both launched their 2024 GOP presidential bids in South Carolina and hold regular events there while also touting endorsements from lawmakers and other political players in the state.
So, Trump already has further South Carolina campaign stops scheduled. He will be the keynote speaker at the South Carolina Republican Party’s annual fundraising gala on Aug. 5. Location and other details are still to be announced.
Trump carried South Carolina in the two previous presidential elections, defeating Biden by 7 percentage points in the 2020 election.
Despite mounting legal troubles, including a recent indictment in South Florida over his handling of classified documents after leaving office, Trump has remained the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
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The South Carolina Republican Party recently voted to hold its 2024 GOP presidential primary on Feb. 24, 2024. If approved by the Republican National Committee, the move would give GOP candidates longer to campaign in South Carolina after the kickoff of the Iowa and New Hampshire voting events. It would also make South Carolina Republicans vote 18 days after Nevada’s scheduled primary, putting the “first in the South” presidential primary state front and center in the race for more than two full weeks.
Assuming the Feb. 24, 2024, South Carolina Republican primary date goes through, the filing deadline for candidates will be on Oct. 31, 2023. The filing fee amount will be $50,000 per candidate, per the South Carolina Republican Party.
