Buttigieg Courts South Carolina Black Voters in 2028 Test, Citing $22.7 Million Orangeburg Grant
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · Aug 23
Buttigieg Courts South Carolina Black Voters in 2028 Test, Citing $22.7 Million Orangeburg Grant
3 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · Aug 23
Summary
More than 200 people at an NAACP Freedom Fund Dinner in Orangeburg gave Pete Buttigieg a warm reception, a sharp contrast with the fourth-place South Carolina finish that helped end his 2020 campaign.
South Carolina matters more now because it is set to open Democrats’ 2028 primary calendar, making support from Black voters—who form a majority of the state’s Democratic electorate—critical for any contender.
Buttigieg used stops at Claflin University, a policy conference and a Charleston fundraiser to reintroduce himself while highlighting Biden-era transportation projects, including a $22.7 million downtown grant praised by Orangeburg’s mayor.
Jaime Harrison called the trip a good start but warned that potential candidates must keep returning and investing in the state, where Gavin Newsom, Andy Beshear and Ro Khanna have also begun early outreach.