South Carolina Republican Party unanimously voted on Saturday to move the GOP presidential primary for 2024 back to February 24, 2025. This decision will extend campaigning in South Carolina and set a brand new sequence for the Republican nomination calendar. It would allow candidates to focus on South Carolina for two additional weeks, as opposed to prior cycles, when Nevada’s Caucuses were held before the state primaries.
If approved, the proposed date for the South Carolina GOP primary would represent a major shift in the nomination schedule. The state would be placed behind Nevada for the first time since 2008. In that year, South Carolina’s primary took place on January 19, coinciding with Nevada’s caucus. In 2016, South Carolina’s Republican primary was held on February 20, three days before Nevada’s caucus on February 23. In 2012, South Carolina Republicans voted in the primaries on January 21, two weeks ahead of Nevada Republicans’ caucusing.
The Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s campaign supported the idea of moving the primary dates. The team was confident about its chances of success and enthusiastic about winning South Carolina. South Carolina Republican voters may be drawn to the governor by his military experience and his wife’s connections in the state. Casey DeSantis’s parents live in Aiken, and she graduated from College in Charleston.
Andrew Romeo is the spokesperson for the DeSantis campaign and he said:
“This decision could not have been better for us. I am happy that we supported this decision and look forward to winning all four states. DeSantis has the largest political footprint and organization, even when you include Biden.”
While representatives for other presidential campaigns did not immediately respond to requests for comment, a spokesperson for former President Donald Trump’s campaign indirectly addressed the South Carolina GOP vote. The spokesperson characterized DeSantis as attempting to “claim any victory he can, even if it’s completely detached from reality.”
The South Carolina GOP approved participation thresholds that included a $50,000 per candidate filing fee with a deadline set for October 31, 2023. South Carolina state party officials decide the dates of South Carolina’s primary elections, but they must get their decisions approved by RNC.
South Carolina was the first state to be listed on the Democratic Party presidential primary calendar, according to the Democratic National Committee vote held in February. DNC Chair Jaime Harrison stated that race and unions were major factors in their decision.
We have been waiting for this calendar. South Carolina is the first state to put Black voters at the forefront. Michigan joins the heartland of states where unions built the middle class.
In the past, Nevada had a caucus system for presidential elections. If the Nevada Republican Party wins its legal challenge, it will force the caucus early in February of 2024.
Alida Benson, Nevada Republican Party executive director, said: “We look forward to a Caucus taking place in February 2024.”
Emma Vaughn, after Saturday’s South Carolina vote, said that “each state must inform the RNC of their plans by October 1st regarding selecting, allocating, and binding delegates.” “We are eager to review the plans of every state and territory. ”
A possible change in the GOP nominating calendar could cause a dramatic shift in the timing and dynamics of the presidential race. This would add intrigue to the political landscape, and raise the stakes.
