Biden, via Wikipedia.Staff reports | President Joe Biden announced Thursday that he wants to have South Carolina be the first primary state for the Democratic Party in 2024 in an effort to bolster diversity. If the move comes to fruition, it would end Iowa’s opening part of the presidential nominations process and reduce New Hampshire’s role.
“We must ensure that voters of color have a voice in choosing our nominee much earlier in the process and throughout the entire early window,” Biden wrote in a letter to the Democratic National Committee.’s Rules and Bylaws Committee. “Black voters in particular have been the backbone of the Democratic Party but have been pushed to the back of the early primary process.”
According to The New York Times, South Carolina helped save Biden’s candidacy two years ago during the Democratic primaries after coming in fourth in Iowa and fifth in New Hampshire, both of which have a higher percentage of white voters.
“Our party should no longer allow caucuses as part of our nominating process,” he continued. Iowa is a caucus state and does not hold a primary election.
Biden encouraged the DNC to make South Carolina the first primary, followed by Nevada, New Hampshire, Georgia and Michigan.
South Carolina is also home to “kingmaker” U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., whose support helped Biden in 2020. The state also is home to Jaime Harrison, current chairman of the DNC.
In other news this week:
Clyburn elected as House assistant leader for Democrats. Democratic U.S. House members have voted to keep Clyburn as assistant House leader. The announcement comes a day after the historical appointment of U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., as the first Black House leader.
Final arguments held in redistricting trial. Lawyers this week made final arguments in a federal case over whether South Carolina’s redistricted congressional maps are legal. The issue at hand: Whether the GOP-dominated state legislature diluted Black voting power in a Charleston-area congressional seat. According to the Associated Press, the lawsuit alleges the GOP redrew maps to dilute race in the First Congressional District and give the party an advantage. Democrats flipped the seat in 2018, but lost it narrowly in 2020 before new lines were drawn. “According to a lawsuit filed by the NAACP, the new boundaries unconstitutionally split Black voters in the state’s 1st, 2nd and 5th Districts and packed them all into the 6th District, which already had a majority of African American voters,” the news service reported. A ruling by a panel of three federal judges is expected in the weeks ahead.
Right-wing legislators sue Charleston Co. schools over CRT claims. A group of S.C. House legislators have filed a lawsuit against Charleston County School District over claims that schools in the district are teaching critical race theory. The suit claims the district violated state laws to fund lessons the group says teaches students to discriminate against others.
Haley considering bid for president. Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under former President Donald Trump, says she will decide over the holidays whether to run in the 2024 presidential election. At a Tuesday forum at Clemson University, she said, “I have said I’ve never lost a race. I’m not going to start now. If we decide to get into it, we’ll put 1,000 percent in and we’ll finish it.” Haley now lives in Kiawah Island.
New map details food pantries, resources across South Carolina. Clemson University and S.C. DHEC has been working on an interactive map designed to pinpoint food resources available in every county across the state. The map details where and when pantries are open, as well as other specific information like if any requirements are needed to receive food.
Governor’s office receives Berkeley Co. education petition. Over 2,500 people signed a petition in Berkeley Co. over the school board’s swift replacement of its superintendent. The petition asks the governor to appoint an inspector general to look into the legality of the board’s actions.
Lawsuit targets surveillance of S.C. drivers. The S.C. Public Interest Foundation and a Greenville resident are suing state law enforcement over the use of an “expansive surveillance network” of cameras. According to the lawsuit, law enforcement has no oversight on how to use the information gathered.
We Can Do Better, South Carolina!
I’m a centrist. I vote for the person not the party. In the last few elections, I have voted Republican and Democrat. I have voted for Bush, Clinton, McCane, Obama and Biden. But I won’t be voting for Biden again. In fact, when I voted in the 2020 Primary in NH, I voted for Pete. In the General Election I voted against Trump. Now in this election in 2024, I am probably going to vote against Biden. His decision is going to negatively affect NH’s economy. His bullying the Dems to put SC first just shows me that is just another politician looking out for himself. I’m now an ANY ONE BUT TRUMP AND BIDEN VOTER.