South-Carolina
In ruby red South Carolina, ‘like-minded’ Democrats to meet, mobilize at annual convention
Two key Democratic governors are coming to the Palmetto State to speak at the South Carolina Democratic Party’s annual two-day event in Columbia.
The 2025 event features Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who will speak May 30 at the Palmetto Blue Dinner and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz gives the keynote address May 31.
Christale Spain, the Democratic Party state chairperson, said Moore and Walz were chosen because of their growing national presence.
She said Moore stands out because of the work he’s doing in Maryland and his emergence as a young leader among Democrats. Walz was the Democratic Party’s 2024 vice presidential nominee on the ticket with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, the nominee for president.
The state party will select its officers for the upcoming year during the convention held at the state fairgrounds. Spain is running unopposed for chair.
Each county will also send delegates to the convention to represent their area’s interests. A total of 1,758 delegates will attend the convention.
Greenville County Democratic Party Chair Stacey Mars is attending the convention as one of the 180 delegates from Greenville County. Mars said that anyone who is a member of the state’s Democratic Party is eligible to serve as a delegate.
She said she is excited to see Spain’s reelection because the state chair has been an active presence in county party races since taking on the leadership position.
Mars said the convention is important because it helps anyone new to the party become familiar with its platform and candidates.
“We are in the minority, so it always helps being around like-minded individuals,” Mars said.
South Carolina’s Electoral College has voted for the Republican candidate in every presidential election since 1980. Almost 60% of South Carolinians who voted in the 2024 election cast ballots for Donald Trump, according to the South Carolina Election Commission.
According to party officials, the weekend convention creates an important opportunity to strategize and expand the party’s base in the state.
Delegates will vote on the party’s resolution and convention rules for the year. This resolution report, written by the Platform and Resolutions Committee, outlines the party’s stance on key issues.
The committee report advocates for the passage or expansion of national legislation, such as the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act or the Affordable Care Act. It also addresses topics that the party wants to see addressed on the state level, including improved access to early childhood education and an expansion of Medicaid coverage.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (FOX Carolina) – A new poll from The Trafalgar Group offers an early snapshot of the Republican primary field in South Carolina’s race for governor.
The survey of 1,089 likely Republican primary voters was conducted May 2 to May 5 and lists a 2.9 percentage-point margin of error.
Who leads
In the poll’s test ballot, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette drew 25.2 percent support, followed by Attorney General Alan Wilson 23.1% percent.
The next tier included U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman 19.6 percent and U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace 15.2 percent.
The remaining candidates were Rom Reddy 10.1 percent, state Sen. Josh Kimbrell 4.2 percent and Jacqueline Dubose 2.7 percent.
What to know
Poll results can change quickly as campaigns ramp up, endorsements are made and more voters tune in.
The Trafalgar Group said the poll was conducted among likely GOP primary voters with a 95 percent confidence level.
What’s next
FOX Carolina will continue tracking new polling, endorsements and candidate announcements as the 2026 election cycle unfolds.
Feel more informed, prepared, and connected with FOX Carolina. For more free content like this, download our apps.
Copyright 2026 WHNS. All rights reserved.
South-Carolina
Former South Carolina QB Stephen Garcia diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer at 38 years old
A former college football star is now fighting cancer at 38 years old.
Stephen Garcia, a quarterback for four years at South Carolina, revealed on social media Wednesday that he was diagnosed with Stage 4 colorectal cancer.
A GoFundMe page, organized by his wife Maria that has already garnered nearly $100K in donations, said that after a trip to the emergency room and multiple imaging tests, Garcia was diagnosed with cancer and was set to begin chemotherapy. He is now on an “aggressive” track, and “he will be meeting with specialized liver and colon surgeons to determine the next steps in his treatment plan.”
Garcia took to Facebook to share the GoFundMe link and said he is confident he will be able to overcome the diagnosis.
“Wasn’t overly excited to share this news but it is what it is. We have a great team of doctors and staff that’s confident we can beat this! It’s the only option,” he wrote. “If there’s one lesson to be learned, get checked and don’t be afraid to visit the doctors office when you don’t feel 100%.”
He later thanked everyone for their support on his Instagram story.
Garcia had a prolific career with the Gamecocks, throwing for 7,597 yards and 49 touchdowns. In 2009, as a sophomore, he led the SEC with 239 completions before throwing a career-high 3,059 yards with 20 touchdowns during the next campaign, as South Carolina finished at No. 22 in the final poll of the season.
His 20 wins rank tied for third-most in program history. Garcia later spent time in the CFL, AFL and AAF after his college football days.
South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer said he is “praying” for the former QB.
“I talked to Stephen about an hour ago, actually, and he was in great spirits,” Beamer said Wednesday in Columbia, according to The State. “Then texting back and forth since we talked on the phone about an hour ago and told him to attack this thing with the same mindset that he’s attacked everything going back to when he was a player here and still is now as a human being.
“Told him I got his back, and we all have his back. Just praying hard for him right now.”
LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. (WACH) — A Virginia man has been arrested on charges related to the sexual exploitation of a minor, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced on Wednesday.
On Sunday, Michael Mickels Jr., 18, of Fredericksburg, Virginia, was arrested.
Authorities charged Mickels with one count of criminal solicitation of a minor, a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and one count of first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated with the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department and the Virginia State Police.
Investigators said Mickels solicited a minor for sex and encouraged the making of child sexual abuse material.
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The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office will prosecute the case.
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