- In the more moderate Lowcountry, Republicans like Nikki Haley have long had broad appeal to voters.
- But Haley's lead remains strong across the state as she faces Donald Trump in the Republican primary.
- The Lowcountry's population has grown significantly, and many of the new immigrants are Trump supporters.
As Nikki Haley races across South Carolina to defeat former President Donald Trump in her home state's Republican presidential primary on Saturday, she's making her way through the Lowcountry, a picturesque landscape and moderate He is running a large-scale campaign in the state's coastal region, known for its Republican brand. .
But in the state where Ms. Haley once served as governor, most polls show her trailing Mr. Trump by a wide margin. And in the Lowcountry, where she would normally have more support, Trump's influence over large swaths of the party means she has fewer voters, even among the same people who helped elect the governor. It has become.
Haley must lead the campaign in the Lowcountry to have a chance of defeating Trump in Saturday's primary, but here's why it will be harder than ever to pull it off.
Is all politics local? This year is different.
Charleston and the Lowcountry have long been home to notable Republican figures such as Sen. Tim Scott, Rep. Nancy Mace, and former Gov. Mark Sanford.
However, it is Trump's influence that has become overwhelmingly powerful among Republicans in the state, promoting economic development in the state and pushing back against then-President Barack Obama's administration on issues such as immigration. Haley's conservative record as governor has been eclipsed. Voter memories.
Scott failed to run for president last year, but was appointed to the Senate by Haley in 2013, and even he supported Trump. Mace also supports the former president.
Haley campaigned in two locations in the Lowcountry last month: Bluffton Island and Hilton Head Island. And in recent days, she addressed voters in Beaufort and Kiawah Island, also in the Lowcountry.
But Trump remains in the driver's seat in the state.
The latest poll from Emerson College and The Hill shows Trump leading Haley 58% to 35% among registered voters, giving her a 23-point lead over the former governor. A Suffolk University/USA TODAY poll of likely Republicans found Trump leading Haley 63% to 35%, a 28-point difference. And a recent Citadel poll showed Trump leading Haley 64% to 31% statewide, with the former president leading 54% to 41% in the Charleston area.
While Haley maintains some popularity across her home state, Trump is far more popular among Republican voters, helped by her focus on issues such as immigration. .
This dynamic has made it more difficult for Haley to focus on her record, even as she remains ideologically aligned with many conservatives in South Carolina.
The Lowcountry has become more conservative.
Lowcountry Republicans have long been associated with “country clubs” that hold conservative views on fiscal issues but less concern for social issues.
But in recent years, the Lowcountry's political identity has changed, and significant population growth has brought more veterans and veterans to the region.
In places like Berkeley and Dorchester counties, vocal conservatives have become a more prominent force within the Republican Party.
And that influence is having a significant impact on the primary election.
Haley is a familiar face to countless South Carolinians, but there are now many new voters who did not live in the state when she was governor and have no political allegiance to her.
For many Republican voters, Trump is the person they know best. And as the South Carolina primary concludes Saturday night, that emotion remains Haley's biggest obstacle to victory.
