Democrats Flock to South Carolina, Where Midterm Stops Double as 2028 Auditions

South Carolina may look like an unlikely stage for Democratic star power. Republicans dominate the state's politics, and few expect that to change in this year's midterms. Yet the state has become a magnet for Democrats with national ambitions, because it now sits first in the party's presidential nominating calendar.

In the coming weeks, five Democrats seen as possible 2028 contenders will campaign in the state: California Rep. Ro Khanna, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and veteran Democratic figure Rahm Emanuel.

They follow a recent run of visits from former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. With five weeks left before the midterms, the itineraries suggest the next presidential cycle is already taking shape.

Khanna returns Thursday for several days. Around the same time, Beshear will stump with candidates in Orangeburg and Charleston and discuss his new book with Rep. Jim Clyburn, a longtime party power broker. Kelly begins a two-day swing Friday and plans to campaign for candidates including Senate nominee Annie Andrews. A week later, Pritzker is set to headline a fundraising dinner for the local NAACP.

Days before early voting opens on Oct. 13, Emanuel has a packed schedule: talks with students on several college campuses, appearances with candidates including gubernatorial nominee Jermaine Johnson, meetings with dozens of pastors, and a community conversation with parishioners affected by the 2015 shooting at Mother Emanuel AME in Charleston.

South Carolina has long voted early in both parties' primaries, and Democrats recently locked in its place at the front of the line. Bre Maxwell, a Democratic National Committee member from the state, said the visits let candidates test how their message lands with key voters.

"They're doing it under the guise of, 'Hey, I'm gonna come to South Carolina, help support this candidate,' while also having one-off meetings with people to build for what they possibly may do in '28," Maxwell said. "'How much support do I have, how many people like me, how many people don't like me?'"

One prominent Democrat not expected soon is former Vice President Kamala Harris, who has not visited since April, when she took part in a party fundraiser alongside a tour for her book on the 2024 campaign. Her deep ties in the state mean she need not come as early or as often as others still building name recognition.

Republicans will still begin their nominating process with the Iowa caucuses, but South Carolina will host the party's first southern primary. With President Donald Trump barred by the Constitution from a third term, other Republicans are beginning to test the waters; Texas Sen. Ted Cruz recently campaigned with Attorney General Alan Wilson before Wilson won the party's gubernatorial nomination.