South-Carolina
Tim Scott counts on South Carolina popularity as he seeks second look nationally
Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) could emerge as a significant challenger to former President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign, especially in his home state of South Carolina.
While South Carolina Republicans were clear that Trump has a strong base of support in the state, they indicated that voters are interested in Scott as a viable alternative.
TRUMP’S FEUDS WITH GOP GOVERNORS A DISTRACTION FOR HIM IN THE 2024 PRIMARY RACE
County and district GOP chairmen and women throughout the Palmetto state emphasized Trump was still on top. But, with about seven months until the South Carolina primary, they say voters are hearing other candidates out — Scott in particular.
“President Trump definitely has a very strong and large base of support going into our primary here in South Carolina,” Fourth District Republican Chairman Nate Leuppe said. “It is strong and it’s unwavering.”
But, he said, there is a smaller percentage of what he dubbed “America First” voters who are supportive of Trump but aren’t committed to him. He said they will likely hold out to see what happens in the months leading up to the primary.
According to Dorchester County GOP Chairman Steven Wright, the former president has “solid support in South Carolina, as he has across the country.”
However, he added the caveat that South Carolinians “take our obligation as a first in the South primary state seriously and that nobody’s entitled to our vote; they have to earn it.”
South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Drew McKissick, who is also co-chairman of the Republican National Committee, predicted that the state’s primary would be even more competitive than usual, thanks in part to a later primary scheduled for Feb. 24.
“The candidates are going to want to come here, campaign here, and win here because it will give them a bounce going into Super Tuesday, where you know, it’s difficult for them to get all around the country,” he explained.
Tensions in the South Carolina race are further increased by the presence of two candidates who call the state home, Scott and former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, McKissick said.
Several leaders described voters taking a specific interest in Scott, noting that they haven’t seen the same kind of support for Haley. Spartanburg County GOP Chairman Curtis Smith said that while voters like her, they feel she left “two very important jobs without them being finished,” referring to the governorship and her role as ambassador to the U.N. during the Trump administration.
Smith claimed that Scott’s appeal extends outside of just the Republican Party. According to him, he met several voters at a recent event with Scott “who had never voted Republican in their lives, who were minorities, who listened to Tim Scott and said, ‘I am now a Republican. And I’m going to vote.’”
As for the senator’s draw, he pointed to opportunity zones, which were part of an initiative authored by Scott and passed in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. “He put a lot of businesses up in these areas, and what he was doing with President Trump in creating opportunities for minorities, he has a great deal of people that think that he is great,” Smith said.
“And the fact that he is a South Carolinian that came up from his bootstraps — you’ve got an awful lot of people supporting him now,” he added.
Seventh Congressional District GOP Chairman Jerry Rovner told the Washington Examiner, “I think a lot of Democrats fear him because he’s black, he’s intelligent, he’s conservative, and they don’t know what to do.”
Regarding policy, Rovner noted that Scott has a very similar vision to Trump and most Republican voters. “He comes at it from a different tact,” he said, adding that Scott doesn’t personally attack opponents.
Multiple leaders predicted a serious challenge from Scott, especially if he manages to make progress in Iowa and New Hampshire.
“Sen. Scott is building an operation across our state. People know him. People like him. And he has received a great number of endorsements from senators, from local elected officials,” Wright said of Scott’s campaign.
The senator notably rolled out over 140 endorsements from current and former elected officials in South Carolina after announcing his bid for the presidency.
Wright pointed out that Scott’s endorsements include those from county-level officials, particularly in Dorchester County.
Leuppe further explained that while not everyone may support Scott for the Republican nomination, they all support him in other ways. Some of them, for example, think he would be a good vice president. “Tim Scott is an incredible person. He’s an incredible senator. And I think he has an incredible future,” he said.
A point echoed by some was that Trump has yet to speak poorly of Scott. They even recalled him saying the senator is a “nice guy” after attacking Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) at a recent rally in Pickens County.
If Trump were to change strategies in favor of attacking Scott, it might be a gamble, particularly given the senator’s high approval ratings.
In a 2022 Winthrop University poll, Scott had an approval rating of nearly 90% among South Carolina Republicans. He also enjoyed the approval of two-thirds of the general public in South Carolina.
In a HarrisX-Harris poll published last week, Scott received a net favorability rating of 10, while most figures received net negative results. Only six of the 25 rated individuals were given net positive numbers. Fellow presidential candidates Vivek Ramaswamy and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. were the only people viewed more favorably than Scott.
While the race has been framed as a match between front-runner Trump and second-place contender DeSantis, some have indicated this might not be the dynamic found in South Carolina. Leaders said DeSantis has support in the state, but they also said Ramaswamy and Scott are getting significant attention.
One veteran Republican operative in South Carolina reiterated Trump’s dominance in the state but said the more religious voters are considering Scott, specifically. The senator has notably centered his campaign around faith.
As reports of internal reshuffling on the DeSantis campaign and donor concerns emerge, Scott’s campaign is looking to take advantage of the moment.
Sources involved in the South Carolina senator’s campaign said there won’t be a strategic shift in order to capitalize on uncertainty in the DeSantis campaign. They believe that so long as they continue doing what they’re doing, it will become clear to voters that Scott is the right messenger with the best message. He’s also got the resources to go the distance, they said.
These operatives are also aware of how quickly a lack of resources can sink a campaign. Scott ended the second quarter of 2023 with the second most cash on hand, behind only Trump.
They additionally feel confident that voters are refreshed by Scott’s positive approach and optimistic message.
GOP strategists also see an opening for Scott in the 2024 primary.
“It seems like DeSantis really set himself to be the alternative to Trump, whereas Tim Scott came into the race saying, ‘This is my vision for the country,”” said Susan Del Percio. “And being an alternative to Trump only works if Trump’s not in the race.”
To take full advantage of this, though, she said Scott needs to move aggressively.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Republican strategist John Feehery added that his positive message sets Scott apart from the competition in a good way. Scott, he said, “has a very positive story and a positive message.”
“I don’t think either Trump or DeSantis have that same kind of powerfully positive message,” he said.
Looks like yet another ‘economic development’ deal is going south…
South Carolina’s crony capitalist approach to “economic development” is staring down yet another costly setback as AESC – a Japanese-owned electric vehicle battery manufacturer – has paused construction on its $1.6 billion facility in Florence, S.C.
“AESC has informed the state of South Carolina and our local partners that due to policy and market uncertainty, we are pausing construction at our South Carolina facility at this time,” the company noted in a statement. “We anticipate being able to resume construction once circumstances stabilize.”
The company broke ground on its 1.5 million-square foot facility less than two years ago, an event its leaders hailed as “a landmark moment in the evolution of South Carolina’s rapidly expanding electric vehicle industry.”
AESC’s Florence plant was supposed to create more than 1,620 jobs – although as we note often here at FITSNews, such rosy projections associated with taxpayer-funded handouts rarely pan out.
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When this deal was authorized in 2022, state taxpayers shelled out more than $255 million in subsidies – not counting recurring job development tax credits. Local subsidies pushed the tab even higher – to more than $400 million. An additional $111 million was earmarked for a second AESC facility, but that project was recently folded into the first plant.
“I look forward to the transformative impact that AESC’s historic investments will have on not only the Pee Dee but all of South Carolina,” governor Henry McMaster said at the time the incentives were approved.
The governor – who has presided over numerous other crony capitalist failures – offered similarly lofty rhetoric at the groundbreaking of the plant in June of 2023.
“Today, South Carolina is proud to celebrate AESC as the company embarks on a historic chapter in our state,” McMaster said. “Florence County has been ripe for an investment of this magnitude — one that will transform local communities and create generational wealth for South Carolinians. The groundbreaking for AESC’s battery cell gigafactory is a landmark moment in the evolution of South Carolina’s rapidly expanding electric vehicle industry.”
Was it, though? This project is now officially without a timeline while taxpayers are, once again, left holding the bag.
When will the next domino fall? It might be sooner than you think…
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RELATED | MORE PROBLEMS FOR VOLVO IN SOUTH CAROLINA
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As noted just last week in the aftermath of yet another corporate welfare fail, FITSNews has nothing but contempt for government-subsidized economic development (a.k.a. crony capitalism).
“We reject crony capitalist handouts on principle,” our outlet wrote back in 2015. “They are patently unfair, and South Carolina’s escalating use of them to reward favored corporations at the expense of small businesses and taxpayers is killing our state’s consumer economy.”
As crony capitalist schemes like these keep escalating, South Carolina continues to lag behind the rest of the nation in jobs and income growth.
When will the state’s “Republican” leaders try something different? How many more of these command economic failures is it going to take for them to finally learn their lesson?
Count on FITSNews to keep our audience in the loop regarding the status of these projects… and to keep holding accountable those responsible for these failures.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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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 4, 2025, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from June 4 drawing
05-17-23-35-45, Powerball: 24, Power Play: 10
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL numbers from June 4 drawing
Midday: 2-3-0, FB: 6
Evening: 3-9-6, FB: 0
Check Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL numbers from June 4 drawing
Midday: 5-0-9-6, FB: 6
Evening: 5-9-1-5, FB: 0
Check Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from June 4 drawing
Midday: 09
Evening: 09
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Palmetto Cash 5 numbers from June 4 drawing
02-03-20-29-33
Check Palmetto Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from June 4 drawing
13-33-35-36-56, Powerball: 02
Check Powerball Double Play 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.
South Carolina baseball continues to see players hit the transfer portal this week. Right-handed pitcher (RHP) Ryder Garino is the latest Gamecock to look for a new home next season.
Garino joined the team as a true freshman in 2025. He made 16 appearances with one start for the Gamecocks. He finished this season with a 2-0 record with 34 strikeouts and a 5.84 ERA in 24.2 innings pitched.
Garino attended Cherry Hill West High School in Cherry Hill Twp., N.J., where he was the New Jersey Pitcher of the Year as a senior in 2024. He had a 0.39 ERA in 2024, allowing just 27 hits while striking out 94 batters with three earned runs in 53 innings of work. He threw nine complete games in the 2024 season.
This marks player number 14 to enter the portal from South Carolina since it opened on Monday. Garino joins pitcher Brendan Sweeney, catcher Max Kaufer, pitcher Eli Jerzembeck, pitcher Tyler Pitzer, infielder (INF) Nolan Nawrocki, pitcher Eddie Copper III, OF/DH Jase Woita, INF Will Tippett, pitcher Wyatt Evans, pitcher Roman Kimball, outfielder (OF) Tyler June, and INF Cayden Gasken, and catcher Ryan Bakes.
The portal will stay open until July 1.
Join the community:
You can follow us for future coverage by clicking “Follow” on the top right-hand corner of the page. Also, be sure to follow us on X at @GamecocksDigest and on Facebook!
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