South Carolina is accustomed to increased attention in the years leading up to presidential elections, given that the state has hosted the South’s first voting contests for several of the last cycles. Yet the 2024 campaign season is starting to feel different. For one, Democrats have elevated South Carolina to the top of their presidential primary calendar, leapfrogging Iowa and New Hampshire. On the Republican side, there could potentially be two homegrown South Carolina presidential candidates in the race. That prospect is already causing friction among the state’s GOP circles of supporters who may feel torn between the two of them — or other potential candidates.
