South-Carolina
If Trump goes scorched-earth on Haley, it’ll be nothing new for South Carolina – The Boston Globe
For a state with a lengthy history of dirty politics, the 2000 primary is widely considered the low point. Now that title could be up for grabs.
Former president Donald Trump aims to knock former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley out of the Republican presidential race in her home state’s primary on Feb. 24. And his no-holds-barred approach paired with South Carolina’s anything-goes reputation could be a combustible combination.
“I think he’s going to use it as a license to be even uglier,” said Chip Felkel, a longtime South Carolina Republican consultant. “We’re going to hear about her ethnicity. We’re going to hear this allegation and that allegation . . . we’re probably going to hear a lot of innuendo.”
But Trump and his campaign advisers, who have publicly said Haley should prepare to be “absolutely demolished” in South Carolina, could overplay their hand, Felkel said — even in a state accustomed to scorched-earth politics.
“With a very, very long and justified reputation for being a bare-knuckled state, I think he could take that the wrong way and go too far,” Felkel said. “The risk he’s running is offending, and then motivating, a segment of the electorate that would vote for her.”
Haley has a sense of what she could be facing after being called a “raghead” and hit with allegations of two extramarital affairs during her successful 2010 campaign for governor. Haley denied the allegations, which resurfaced in January.
“Politics in South Carolina has a sad reputation as a blood sport,” she wrote in her 2012 memoir, “Can’t Is Not An Option: My American Story.”
The rotten roots can be traced back to South Carolina Republican operative Lee Atwater.
He was infamous for stoking racial fears in the 1988 presidential campaign with what became an infamous general election ad against Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis. It featured Willie Horton, a Black man convicted of raping a white woman while furloughed from a Massachusetts prison when Dukakis was governor. Atwater later said he had vowed to “strip the bark off the little bastard” and “make Willie Horton his running mate.”
Atwater had honed dark political arts in his home state. During a 1980 congressional campaign, he dismissed the Democratic nominee, Tom Turnipseed, a candidate who had spoken openly about receiving electroshock treatments for depression when he was a teenager, as someone who had been “hooked up to jumper cables.”
“I definitely think the national reputation we’ve had for rough politics probably comes as much from Atwater as anybody else,” said Danielle Vinson, a professor of politics and international affairs at Furman University in Greenville, S.C.
Atwater had engineered South Carolina’s shift to an early primary state in 1980, raising the stakes there and fueling the growth of a political consultant industry that used his tactics as its template, said Wesley Donehue, another longtime Republican consultant in the state.
“South Carolina became like the last stand in every race, and by our Southern nature, we’re probably a little more aggressive than those folks up in Iowa and New Hampshire,” Donehue said. “All the other consultants kind of took their lead from him. They were kind of disciples of Atwater.”
South Carolina politics took on Atwater’s style: combative and creative, with seemingly no limits.
In a 1990 congressional race, Rod Shealy, a Republican consultant and Atwater protégé, tried to exploit racial bias and drive up white turnout in a key part of the state for his sister’s lieutenant governor bid by helping pay for a Black fisherman to run for Congress. Shealy later was fined $500 for a campaign finance violation related to the incident.
It wasn’t the only time an unlikely candidate turned up in a South Carolina race.
In 2010, Alvin Greene stunningly won the Democratic primary to take on incumbent Republican Senator Jim DeMint without appearing to campaign at all. An unknown Army veteran, his name was listed first on the ballot alphabetically. After his victory, news broke that he was facing obscenity charges. Representative Jim Clyburn suggested at the time that Greene was “a Republican plant,” which Greene denied. DeMint sailed to victory.
The importance of the South Carolina presidential primary continued to fuel underhanded campaigning.
As the 2008 Republican primary approached, some voters received a Christmas card purporting to be from the family of Mitt Romney, who is Mormon, that included the line, “We have now clearly shown that God the Father had a plurality of wives.” In 2012, fliers were placed on the windshields of cars at an antiabortion event targeting the wife of Rick Santorum for an affair she had before she married him with a doctor who performed abortions.
“It is a very tough environment,” Felkel said. “I was quoted many years ago as saying, ‘Bring your big boy pants,’ because it’s not for the faint of heart.”
Felkel worked for Atwater early in his career and said he “learned a lot.”
“He was brilliant. He made mistakes. He realized it in the end,” Felkel said. As Atwater was dying from a brain tumor in the early 1990s, he apologized to Turnipseed and the public for some of his actions.
Still, the Atwater playbook stayed in place. But it might be losing its effectiveness, Vinson said, citing Haley’s victory in the 2010 governor’s race.
“There were some really nasty ugly personal attacks against her during that campaign, and it ultimately, I think, helped her in the long run,” Vinson said. “There were a lot of people that felt like she wasn’t being given a fair shot.”
But in Donehue’s view, the state’s tolerance for political dirt has only grown. He said Haley will try to play the victim in her race against Trump but that he doesn’t think it will help her in South Carolina.
“There’s going to be no backlash to getting nasty here,” Donehue said. “The state is used to it.”
And with the rise since 2000 of the 24-hour cable news cycle, social media, and finally of Trump’s flame-throwing style, he argued the state is no longer such an outlier. You can see comments as bad as the illegitimate child attack on McCain or the raghead slur against Haley every day on X and other platforms, Donehue noted.
“Politics,” he said, “has caught up with South Carolina.”
Jim Puzzanghera can be reached at jim.puzzanghera@globe.com. Follow him @JimPuzzanghera.
South Carolina Lowcountry Calendar of Events
For events, festivals and other community happenings in Beaufort, Jasper and Hampton counties, and around the Lowcountry, check out our Lowcountry Calendar of Events. If you have an open-to-the-public event you would like to announce, submit by email to:
Beaufort County events
Bluffton Independence Day 5K set for July 2 at 7 p.m. at New Riverside Barn Park
Residents and visitors are invited to participate in the third annual Bluffton Independence Day 5K and Kids Fun Run benefiting the Mayor’s Stay Safe Bluffton Scholarship Fund.
Register at: runsignup.com/Race/SC/Bluffton/BlufftonIndependenceDay5K
Event highlights:• 5K begins at 7 p.m.• Free “Chase the Chief” Kids Fun Run at 6:45 p.m.• First 400 registered participants receive a commemorative race T-shirt• Packet pickup: Wednesday, July 1, from 4-7 p.m. at New Riverside Barn, 30 Red Barn• No race-day registration• Awards ceremony immediately following the race• Free concert featuring Deas-Guyz following awards presentation• Food, beer, and wine available for purchase• *New*: Patriotic drone show at dark, sponsored by the Town of Bluffton and Fetch A Vet
Parking and Shuttle InformationAttendees should park at Pritchardville Elementary School, 9447 Evan Way, and use the free Savannah Trolley shuttle to New Riverside Barn Park.Shuttle service runs continuously from 5:30-11 p.m. The final shuttle departure from the event area will be approximately 10:30 p.m.Parking at New Riverside Barn Park is extremely limited and reserved for event operations, vendors, and ADA-accessible parking.Independence Day pre-party set for July 3 from 5p.m. until 9p.m. at Martin Family Park and DuBois Park
Enjoy a family-friendly evening filled with music, food, and activities before the fireworks display.Activities include:• Carnival-style games with patriotic prizes while supplies last• Bounce houses and rock wall• Food and beverage vendors• DJ Jeff “T-Bone” Taylor• Live music by the Parris Island Dirty Boots Brass Band from 6-7 p.m.• Presentation of the Colors by Bluffton Boy Scout Troop 241• National Anthem performance at 5:55 p.m. by a local student performerThe Town is committed to accessibility and inclusion. Many activities will be located on paved surfaces to accommodate guests of all abilities and/or with special needs.Fireworks DisplayFriday, July 3 | 9 p.m.Oyster Factory Park and Wright Family ParkThe Town’s annual 20-minute fireworks show will launch from a barge in the May River and can be viewed from both parks.Food vendors will be available, with food and beverages available for purchase.Please note barge positioning may change due to weather, water conditions, and other operational factors. Guests may need to adjust viewing locations.Parking and Shuttle for Pre-Party and FireworksAttendees are encouraged to use the free Savannah Trolley shuttle from Town Hall, 20 Bridge St.Parking is available near the shuttle stop, including:• Town Hall parking lots (20 Bridge Street surrounding Town Hall)• M.C. Riley Elementary School bus parking lot on Bridge Street• Newly renovated parking lot on Pritchard Street near the Beaufort County pool and baseball field• M.C. Riley Early Education Center bus loop on Pritchard StreetShuttle service runs continuously from 4-11 p.m.Additional parking options include Town public parking lots and paid church parking at:• First Zion Missionary Baptist Church, 10 Robertson St.• Campbell Chapel AME Church, 25 Boundary St.• Cornerstone Church, 1300 May River Road
ADA ParkingDesignated ADA parking is available at Town Hall.A complimentary golf cart shuttle for guests with mobility needs will be provided by the Town of Bluffton and Hidden Treasures.Road ClosuresFor public safety, roads near event venues will be closed to vehicle traffic.Thursday evening:• Lawrence Street• Green StreetFriday beginning at 3 p.m.:• Calhoun Street from Green Street to Water Street• Bridge Street from Boundary Street to Wharf StreetLocal access will be limited after 8 p.m.Bluffton police officers will assist homeowners with access, except between 8-11 p.m.Dock Closures and Boater AdvisoryFor public safety, both the Calhoun Street Regional Dock and Oyster Factory Dock will close to pedestrians from 5-11 p.m. Friday, July 3.Boaters may access the May River throughout the day, but temporary restrictions will be implemented prior to and during the fireworks display.As launch time approaches, law enforcement will establish a safety zone around the fireworks barge. During this time, vessels may experience temporary restrictions entering or leaving certain areas.The public boat ramp remains open, but boaters should anticipate delays immediately before and during the fireworks display.Weather PolicyEvents will be held rain or shine unless canceled for safety reasons.Due to event logistics and staffing, canceled events will not be rescheduled.Reminder: Fireworks Are Illegal in BlufftonPersonal fireworks are prohibited within Bluffton town limits.Bluffton police officers will confiscate illegal fireworks and respond to complaints.Bluffton Municipal Code Sec. 14-99:It is unlawful to fire, sell, store, or possess fireworks within the Town of Bluffton.
Town of Bluffton Independence Day Celebration July 3
Town of Bluffton 5th Annual Independence Day Celebration on Friday, July 3. The celebration will begin at 5 p.m. with a pre-party at Martin Family and DuBois Parks. The fireworks show will start shortly after 9 p.m. and will be visible from Oyster Factory and Wright Family Parks.
• Carnival-style games with patriotic prizes (while supplies last)
• Bounce houses and a rock wall
• Food and beverage concessions available for purchase
• 104.9 The Surf Jeff T-Bone Taylor
• Live music by the Parris Island “Dirty Boots” Brass Band from 6–7 p.m.
• Rick Hubbard’s Bubble Stuff Show
• National Anthem sung by a local Bluffton student
Fireworks Display: 9 p.m. | Oyster Factory & Wright Family Parks
The fireworks show will launch from a barge in the May River and can be viewed from both parks.
Note: Barge positioning may change due to various factors; attendees may need to adjust their seating to ensure the best view.
Great American Kids Show set for Aug. 21 in Bluffton
The Town of Bluffton will be presenting Rick Hubbard’s Great American Kids Show Aug. 21 at New Riverside Barn Park. Preshow starts at 6:30 p.m. with the performance from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. This is a free family event and there will be food trucks on site for purchases. Free kazoos will also be distributed while supplies last.
List of food pantries from around the Lowcountry
Jasper County Events
Families Against Gun Violence hosting event July 18 in Ridgeland
Families Against Gun Violence will be hosting a dinner at Wagonbranch Community Center in Ridgeland July 11 which will feature several speakers. The speakers will include law enforcement officials and others. For more information, contact LaHoma Scott at (843)368-6629.
Library Card Design Contest open until June 30
Get your creative energy ready because the Library Card Contest is now open! This exciting contest invites anyone who lives, works, studies, or volunteers in Allendale, Hampton, and Jasper counties to showcase their artistic talent by designing a brand-new library card! Show off your creativity and leave your mark on the community! For complete details: https://ahjlibrary.org/library-card-design-contest/
Back-back giveaway July 18 in Ridgeland
A back-back giveaway will be held July 18 at KTM Destiny Center in Ridgeland. There will be backpack giveaways for back to school. The event will take place from noon until 3 p.m. and hosted by the Clementa Pinckney Foundation. The giveaways are for school-aged children and there will also be food and music at the event.
Hampton County events
Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win
Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
The South Carolina Education Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 30, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from June 30 drawing
26-41-50-53-62, Mega Ball: 12
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL numbers from June 30 drawing
Midday: 6-6-5, FB: 3
Evening: 1-1-7, FB: 2
Check Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL numbers from June 30 drawing
Midday: 5-1-7-3, FB: 3
Evening: 5-6-8-6, FB: 2
Check Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from June 30 drawing
Midday: 15
Evening: 09
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Palmetto Cash 5 numbers from June 30 drawing
17-19-22-36-37
Check Palmetto Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
The South Carolina Education Lottery provides multiple ways to claim prizes, depending on the amount won:
For prizes up to $500, you can redeem your winnings directly at any authorized South Carolina Education Lottery retailer. Simply present your signed winning ticket at the retailer for an immediate payout.
Winnings $501 to $100,000, may be redeemed by mailing your signed winning ticket along with a completed claim form and a copy of a government-issued photo ID to the South Carolina Education Lottery Claims Center. For security, keep copies of your documents and use registered mail to ensure the safe arrival of your ticket.
SC Education Lottery
P.O. Box 11039
Columbia, SC 29211-1039
For large winnings above $100,000, claims must be made in person at the South Carolina Education Lottery Headquarters in Columbia. To claim, bring your signed winning ticket, a completed claim form, a government-issued photo ID, and your Social Security card for identity verification. Winners of large prizes may also set up an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) for convenient direct deposit of winnings.
Columbia Claims Center
1303 Assembly Street
Columbia, SC 29201
Claim Deadline: All prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the draw date for draw games.
For more details and to access the claim form, visit the South Carolina Lottery claim page.
When are the South Carolina Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
- Pick 4: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
- Cash Pop: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
- Palmetto Cash 5: 6:59 p.m. ET daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Carolina editor. You can send feedback using this form.
(WPDE) — ABC15 is the new official broadcast home for South Carolina Education Lottery (SCEL) drawings, beginning Wednesday, July 1!
Weekday evening drawings for Pick 3, Pick 4, Palmetto Cash 5 and Cash Pop will air live just before the 7:00 p.m. newscast and are approximately one minute long.
ABC15 will also air live jackpot drawings during its 11 p.m. newscast on:
- Mega Millions: Tuesdays and Fridays
- Powerball: Wednesdays and Saturdays
In addition to the live broadcasts, official SCEL results will be displayed on-screen following the midday Pick 3, Pick 4 and Cash Pop drawings. Weekend evening drawings will also be shown through official results crawls.
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