Topline Takeaways

• Democrats held their South Carolina primary alone as Republicans won't conduct their presidential primary in the state until Feb 24.
• Joe Biden won nearly all of the votes cast in this primary as neither of his opponents seriously campaigned in South Carolina.
• Turnout for the primary was the lowest in decades by a significant amount.

"Enthusiasm!" "Momentum!"

The Democratic Party is riding high after Pres. Joe Biden secured his first official primary win in the South Carolina Democratic Presidential primary. After shuffling the party's primary scheduled to put South Carolina first (and New Hampshire giving a big "heck no" to that idea), Joe Biden expected to see the state return the favor with a primary win. South Carolinians followed through.

Democratic party leaders have been quick to rejoice and rally around the president; hoping to spin the primary win into signs that Biden has 'momentum' and that voters are 'enthusiastic' about the president's re-election campaign. But challenger Dean Phillips sent a warning to the party with his concession speech.

“I congratulate the president for getting the most votes tonight. But the lack of voter enthusiasm for a Trump-Biden rematch is being reflected in each and every Democratic primary result this election. Voters are disappointed that they lack options beyond the choice between a threat to the fabric of the nation and a good man who voters want to pass the baton.”
- Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN), Democratic presidential challenger

Turnout Tells a Different Story

Turnout in South Carolina's 2024 Democratic Presidential primary was the lowest on record in the last fifty years. Comparing this year's turnout to 2020's is certainly an apples-to-oranges comparison as the 2020 contest was significantly more competitive and consequential. But it says a lot that this year's turnout is significantly behind turnout seen in previous election cycles when South Carolina fell much lower on the primary calendar. It's also worth noting how low turnout really was in exact numbers.

Previously the lowest turnout on record since the year 2000 for a South Carolina Democratic Presidential primary was in 2004 where just under 300,000 voters cast a vote. This year Democrats saw less than half of that number, barely turning out a total of 125,000 votes for the incumbent. Some have posited that lower interest on the Democratic side is fueled by higher interest in the Republican primary as ALL voters can opt to vote in one primary, regardless of party affiliation. However, Trump's dominance in that race throws cold water on that theory.

"That is stupid. We’re not stopping Donald Trump, the Republicans aren’t stopping Donald Trump. Democrats who think they’re going to mess around in a Republican primary, makes no sense."
-Jay Parmley, South Carolina Democrats executive director

Leftover Links

Democrats in South Carolina must work harder than ever to survive in an era of Republican domination

Democrats in South Carolina may be holding the nation’s first presidential primary. But the party is struggling inside the Southern state.

AP NewsJEFFREY COLLINS

Nevada has both a GOP primary and caucuses. Why?

Nevada botched its key role in the GOP primary.

VoxNicole Narea