2008 South Carolina Republican presidential primary
The 2008 South Carolina Republican presidential primary was held on January 19, with 24 delegates at stake.[1] The Republican National Committee took half of South Carolina's 47 delegates away from them because the state committee moved its Republican primary before February 5.[1][2] It was held on the same day as the Nevada Republican caucuses, 2008.
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 Election results by county.
John McCain
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| Elections in South Carolina |
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The primary has become one of several key early state nominating contests in the process of choosing the nominee of the Republican party for the November 2008 election for President of the United States. It has historically been more important for the Republican Party than for the Democratic Party; from its inception in 1980 through the election of 2000, the winner of the Republican presidential primary has gone on to win the nomination.[3] As of 2008, the primary has cemented its place as the "First in the South" primary for both parties.[4]
This state's 24 delegates would be awarded on a "Winner-Takes-All" basis. 12 Delegates for the Statewide winner and 12 delegates awarded on a District-winner basis awarding 2 delegates for each of the states then 6 Congressional districts.[5]
Polling
As of January 19, RealClearPolitics reported that the average support from polls placed McCain in the lead with 26.9%, followed by Huckabee with 25.9%, Romney with 14.7%, Thompson with 14.6%, Paul with 4.4%, and Giuliani with 3.4%.[6]
Results
Huckabee was for weeks leading in the state but lost by a 14,743 vote margin. He did manage to win Congressional districts 3, 4 and 5 in the North of the state earning him a total of 6 delegates.[5]
John McCain won the statewide primary earning him 12 Delegates[7][8][9] as well as Congressional Districts 1, 2 and 6. earning him an additional 6 delegates for a total of 18.[5]
| Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Delegates |
|---|---|---|---|
| John McCain | 147,733 | 33.15% | 18 |
| Mike Huckabee | 132,990 | 29.84% | 6 |
| Fred Thompson | 69,681 | 15.63% | 0 |
| Mitt Romney | 68,177 | 15.3% | 0 |
| Ron Paul | 16,155 | 3.62% | 0 |
| Rudy Giuliani | 9,575 | 2.15% | 0 |
| Duncan Hunter* | 1,051 | 0.24% | 0 |
| Tom Tancredo* | 121 | 0.03% | 0 |
| Hugh Cort | 88 | 0.02% | 0 |
| John H. Cox | 83 | 0.02% | 0 |
| Cap Fendig | 23 | 0.01% | 0 |
| Total | 445,677 | 100% | 24 |
* Candidate withdrew his bid for the nomination prior to the reporting of the primary. On January 22, 2008 after a poor showing Fred Thompson dropped out of the race. Duncan Hunter did so too.
Results of prior primaries
- 1980: Ronald Reagan won with 54%, defeating runner-up John Connally.[11]
- 1984: Uncontested (Reagan was the incumbent president and was re-nominated).[11]
- 1988: George H. W. Bush won with 49%, defeating runner-up Bob Dole.[11]
- 1992: George H. W. Bush won with 68%, defeating runner-up Pat Buchanan.[11]
- 1996: Bob Dole won with 45%, defeating runner-up Pat Buchanan.[11]
- 2000: George W. Bush won with 53%, defeating runner-up John McCain.[11]
- 2004: Uncontested (Bush was the incumbent president and was re-nominated).
See also
References
- "The Primary Season: 2008 Republican Calendar". The New York Times. Retrieved January 19, 2008.
- Crummy, Karen E. (January 18, 2008). "S.C. primary down and dirty". Denver Post. Retrieved January 20, 2008.
- "GOP bellwether South Carolina shows a tangled race: Pg 1". Retrieved January 20, 2008.
- "First in the South". Fox News. Retrieved January 20, 2008.
- "The Green Papers 2008 Presidential Primaries, Caucuses, and Conventions - South Carolina Republican Presidential Nominating Process Primary: Saturday 19 January 2008". Retrieved August 15, 2011.
- "South Carolina Republican Primary Polling". Retrieved January 19, 2008.
- "Election Center 2008: Primary Results for South Carolina". CNN. Retrieved January 22, 2008.
- "South Carolina Republican Primary Results". Fox News. Archived from the original on January 23, 2008. Retrieved January 20, 2008.
- "MSNBC: South Carolina Primary Results". Retrieved January 20, 2008.
- "2008 Presidential Republican Primary Election Results - South Carolina". uselectionatlas.org. Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. January 20, 2008. Retrieved March 22, 2009.
- "GOP bellwether South Carolina shows a tangled race: Pg 2". Retrieved January 20, 2008.