Former President Donald Trump, leading the Republican primary field in his 2024 comeback bid, will be the keynote speaker at an annual South Carolina GOP event. Trump’s top speaking role reflects his dominance in a state long influential in deciding who becomes the party’s nominee.

Trump will be the featured speaker at the South Carolina Republican Party’s 56th Annual Silver Elephant Gala. The 8:30 p.m. event on Saturday, Aug. 5, will take place at the South Carolina State Fairgrounds — 1200 Rosewood Dr., Columbia, South Carolina, 29201.

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South Carolina Republicans’ fealty to Trump isn’t particularly surprising, considering his hold on much of the party base nationally even after losing to President Joe Biden in 2020. But their selection of Trump as keynote speaker inherently undercuts the political standing of local 2024 rivals, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC). National polls show both are in the single digits nationally in their fight for the 2024 Republican nomination and the right to challenge Biden.

Haley and Scott are doing a bit better in a recent Fox News poll reporting voter attitudes in South Carolina. Per the poll, Trump leads the GOP presidential race with 48%, followed by Haley at 14%, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) at 13%, Scott at 10%, and former Vice President Mike Pence at 4%.

The Silver Elephant Gala features a who’s who of Palmetto State Republicans, including Gov. Henry McMaster (R-SC), a former lieutenant governor to whom Haley in early 2017 turned over the reins of state government when Trump appointed her as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, a post she held for just under two years. Party dinner attendees also include Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), South Carolina GOP Chairman and RNC Co-Chairman Drew McKissick, and other Republican elected officials.

South Carolina Republicans have scheduled their presidential primary for Feb. 24, 2024 — a relatively late date that could force candidates to invest more time and money in the state while scrambling campaign strategies in the “first four” GOP contests. With Iowa and New Hampshire potentially holding votes in January and Nevada’s plans in flux, there could be a substantial gap in the calendar before South Carolina.

In Republican presidential nomination fights before the Trump era, South Carolina has proved a decisive battleground in deciding who wins the GOP nomination. That includes future Presidents Ronald Reagan in 1980 and George W. Bush in 2000, along with 1996 Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole and others over the years.

South Carolina has been a popular campaign destination for more than just Trump and the home state candidates. Along with the trio’s rivals in the 2024 GOP scrum, other candidates frequently in the state include Pence, Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND), former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, DeSantis, radio talk show host Larry Elder, ex-Texas Rep. Will Hurd, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.

New Hampshire wine with Haley

Haley has also been a steady presence in New Hampshire in the run-up to its first-in-the-nation primary. She’ll soon be at an event aiming to boost her own candidacy, other GOP office-seekers in New Hampshire, and the Granite State’s budding wine industry.

“Join us for an elegant evening @LaBelleWinnerNH! Our Politics & Prosecco Summer soiree will feature @NikkiHaley!” the New Hampshire Federal of Republican Women recently tweeted about the Aug. 7 event at 6:30 p.m.

“Funds raised will benefit Republican women member candidates running for state and local office in 2024!” added the GOP women’s group about the event at LaBelle Winery — 345 State Rte 101, Amherst, New Hampshire, 03031.

One ticket “includes a glass of sparkling wine, heavy hors d’oeuvres and a conversation with empowered female leaders!” per an event invite. “Attire is elegant cocktail reception and glamorous hats are encouraged! Both men and women are welcome. Tickets are $75 for members and their guests and $100 for nonmembers.”

New Hampshire is usually better known for maple syrup and fall leaf foliage than wine. But the state, the fifth smallest in the nation by square mileage, now has more than 30 wineries, some winning national and international acclaim, to the point that in June, Wine Enthusiast magazine published the article “It’s Time to Pay Attention to New Hampshire Wine.”

The piece praises LaBelle for the quality of its wine, particularly its Amherst Vineyard Red and Amherst Vineyard White, and event-hosting spaces.

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“Winemaker Amy LaBelle has built one of New Hampshire’s most all-encompassing winery experiences. What began as an experimental one-gallon batch of blueberry wine made in her Boston apartment has morphed into a 20,000-square-foot space that includes a bistro, tasting bar, art gallery, gift shop, and event space,” the article says.

“The winery hosts acoustic performances on Thursdays, monthly cooking with wine classes as well as talks with local artists, book signings, and power yoga classes,” the story adds.