Former South Carolina Congressman Trey Gowdy has some advice for Democratic presidential hopefuls who have been eyeing his home state as a potential starting point to launch their 2020 election bids. When asked if he thought South Carolina could be flipped by Democrats in the upcoming presidential race, Gowdy provided the type of answer that made him a fixture on cable news programs throughout his political career.
“Not the one I live in, unless there are two South Carolinas, no,” Gowdy said during an appearance on “Fox & Friends.” “This is Tim Scott, Lindsey Graham country. This is not Kamala Harris, AOC territory.”
Red state
Rep. Trey Gowdy: South Carolina is “not Kamala Harris, AOC territory.” pic.twitter.com/EOZ1ofdsGj
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) January 29, 2019
The retired congressman was referring approvingly to Sens. Tim Scott and Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republicans who happen to be among President Donald Trump’s strongest allies in the Senate. Gowdy feels South Carolina has a long way to go before far-left Democrats like Sen. Kamala Harris, who announced her presidential campaign this month, and New York socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, could have any hope of flipping the conservative state.
“Maybe I’ll live long enough to see that,” Gowdy quipped, “but I’m going to have to live a long time.”
Gowdy has returned to private practice at his old South Carolina law firm after a meteoric career on Capitol Hill. The 53-year-old former chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee left Congress at the height of his career, explaining that his skills would be “better utilized in a courtroom than in Congress.”
Gowdy didn’t have to worry about abandoning his congressional seat to a Democratic contender. South Carolina’s 4th District has been a conservative stronghold, and Trump won there by a 26 point landslide in 2016.
Overall, a November Winthrop poll found that Trump’s support among South Carolina residents is 4 points higher than the national average, while Sens. Graham and Scott remain in good standing with their constituents.
Popular destination
With the Palmetto State firmly in conservative hands, Gowdy is confident about the Republican Party’s chances moving forward. But that hasn’t stopped at least 15 Democratic presidential prospects — including four early favorites — from visiting the state recently in hopes of getting an early start at winning over potential voters.
“People are breaking the speed limit to get to South Carolina,” said Antjuan Seawright, a political operative from Columbia.
The Democratic field promises to be crowded in 2020, and candidates are jostling to make an impression on South Carolina voters. The state’s Democratic primary will be held on Feb. 29, 2020, the last early primary before a Super Tuesday that could make or break a candidate’s campaign.
Hillary Clinton lost her 2016 campaign in large part because of her inability to mobilize black voters, and this time around, Democrats are carefully avoiding the same mistake. South Carolina, where roughly 60 percent of the voting public are African American, could also serve as an opportunity for candidates to test how they are performing among black voters.
Of course, Democrats only see South Carolina as crucial to winning their primary election. When it comes to the general election, the state truly is Trump country, and whoever wins the Democratic Party nomination for president is likely to give South Carolina a wide berth.
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