COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – Former President Joe Biden spoke Friday at the Columbia Art Museum in downtown Columbia at an event hosted by the South Carolina Democratic Party to honor his more than 50 years with the party and to mark his 2020 South Carolina Democratic primary victory.

Biden entered the South Carolina primary having lost Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada. His win in the state gave his campaign momentum heading into the rest of the primary calendar.

“People in this room brought my campaign back from the brink — a lot of pundits, people in the press had given up on me,” Biden said.

Biden said South Carolina’s support was central to his path to the presidency.

“If I could just get to South Carolina I could win the nomination, and I knew if I won the nomination I’d win the presidency because I knew what Bill Clinton and Barack Obama knew before me — South Carolina picks presidents,” Biden said.

South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Christale Spain said Biden’s performance in the state went beyond a primary win.

“Biden didn’t just win, he delivered,” Spain said.

Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., whose endorsement of Biden ahead of the 2020 primary was a key moment in the campaign, attended the event. Clyburn praised Biden’s record of public service.

“There is no American ever who has demonstrated through his service more substance — and I might add sustenance — than Joseph Robinette Biden,” Clyburn said.

Biden also directed remarks at the current Trump administration and called on Democrats to turn out for November’s midterm elections to help flip the House or Senate.

“There’s no time to give up — it’s time to get up, get up, get up, continue to fight,” Biden said.

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CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — Researchers and history buffs will soon have to plan around a temporary closure at the Charleston County Public Library’s Main Library as renovations approach.

The library’s South Carolina Room, located at the Main Library at 68 Calhoun St., will temporarily close to the public beginning May 1, as the building prepares for renovation later this year.

The South Carolina Room is expected to be unavailable for about eight to 10 weeks during the transition. During that time, services, collections and in-person research assistance will not be accessible.

READ MORE | “Charleston County Public Library introduces new Youth Library Card options.”

The department will reopen to the public in a temporary location at 1248 Camp Road, though an official reopening date has not yet been announced.

The South Carolina Room is CCPL’s primary local history and genealogy research department. It preserves and provides access to materials documenting the history and people of Charleston County and South Carolina, including historical documents, maps, photographs, manuscripts, newspapers and other archival resources used for scholarly research, family history and community exploration.

CCPL said the temporary relocation will allow continued preservation of materials while renovations at the Main Library are underway. Updates on reopening timelines and services will be shared at ccpl.org and through the library’s official communication channels.

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