President Biden is poised for a strong South Carolina primary win, but Nikki Haley, the Republican candidate, might challenge his victory.
Similar to his 2020 primary win that led to his nomination, Biden is anticipated to secure a substantial victory this Saturday. He’s expected to outperform Democratic rivals Dean Phillips and Marianne Williamson, but polling data indicates dissatisfaction among voters regarding the president’s handling of critical matters.
Biden’s supporters are downplaying the likelihood of a repeat of the high turnout seen four years ago and suggest that Haley could potentially reduce his margins of victory.
South Carolina doesn’t require party registration. Some Democratic-leaning or independent voters are indicating their intention to skip the Democratic primary and participate in the Republican primary on February 24, hoping to obstruct former President Donald Trump.
Antjuan Seawright, a South Carolina Democratic political strategist, pointed out the challenge of setting expectations for a primary perceived as less competitive. He emphasized the importance of monitoring whether people are choosing to participate in the Republican Party to stop Trump or if they are participating as they should in the Democratic primary, as it will affect turnout.
Meanwhile, Nikki Haley is actively campaigning in her home state, taking a strong stance against both Biden and Trump. However, she trails Trump by an average of 27 percentage points in Republican primary polls, according to RealClearPolitics.
GOP's Nikki Haley threatens to be Biden's biggest rival in South Carolina's Democratic primary – https://t.co/YmqBzkSMyP
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) February 1, 2024
Haley recently secured a commendable second-place finish behind Trump in New Hampshire. Despite the challenging path to securing the nomination, she is positioning herself as a representative of a new generation of leadership, distinguishing herself from both Trump and Biden.
She characterizes the two men as “grumpy old men” from a previous era of politics.
Nikki Haley served two terms as the governor of South Carolina before leaving in 2017 to assume the role of United Nations Ambassador in the Trump administration.
In South Carolina, some of Haley’s Democratic supporters favor her over Trump in the event Biden does not secure a second term in the White House. However, general election polls currently indicate that Trump leads Biden both nationally and in crucial battleground states.
In an effort to reinvigorate support, Democratic Party officials launched a six-figure advertising initiative last week, aiming to mobilize minority voters in support of Biden in both South Carolina and Nevada, where the primary is scheduled for Tuesday. The Democratic National Committee has revealed the use of innovative strategies to engage Black voters in South Carolina and Hispanic as well as Asian voters in Nevada.
These election results will be closely monitored by party officials as they seek insights into the steps Biden needs to take to garner support from general election voters across the nation.
