Battle begins for South Carolina primary

YESTERDAY, the Republican candidates who survived New Hampshire, led by Donald Trump, deployed to South Carolina, their next battleground, for 11 days of combat before the GOP’s first-in-the-South presidential preference primary on February 20.

For Democrats, the next fight is the Nevada caucuses on February 20. But after that, they, too, will come to South Carolina for a week-long campaign before their own first-in-the-South presidential preference primary on February 27.

Presidential campaigns have been skirmishing in South Carolina for months, but the warfare intensified yesterday, when at least four Republican candidates embarked on multi-stop swings in the run-up to a nationally televised debate at Greenville’s Peace Center on Saturday night.

Florida Senator, Marco Rubio, is scheduled to appear in the Upstate everyday from yesterday through Sunday. He was due in Spartanburg yesterday, Simpsonville today, Greenville tomorrow and Saturday, and Easley on Sunday, according to a schedule from his campaign.

Former Florida Governor, Jeb Bush, had six South Carolina stops downstate yesterday and today, before an appearance in Anderson tomorrow, according to campaign announcements.

CRUZ

Brett Doster, a senior advisor for the Bush campaign in South Carolina, said the candidate would begin on Saturday in Fountain Inn and spend the rest of Saturday campaigning in the Greenville area before the debate.

Doster said he couldn’t confirm reports that Bush’s brother, former president George W. Bush, would join the campaign in South Carolina.

“My view is any Bush family member who wants to come to South Carolina over the next two weeks, we’re more than happy to have them,” Doster said. The Bush family has “deep roots here, and we’re looking forward to having them.”

Texas Senator, Ted Cruz, who visited Greenville the day after he won the February 1 Iowa caucuses, returned to the Upstate yesterday with a stop in Spartanburg, according to a tentative schedule from his campaign.

Cruz also plans to campaign in the Greenville area tomorrow at a location or locations that have not yet been announced and will make four South Carolina stops outside of the Upstate between yesterday and Sunday, according to the tentative schedule.

Cruz’s wife, Heidi Cruz, and his father, Rafael Cruz, greeted Greenville-area voters on Monday.

In other South Carolina activity, the Cruz campaign has established an outpost in Greenville called “Camp Cruz” to house out-of-state campaign volunteers, according to spokeswoman, Catherine Frazier.

“We have almost our entire staff coming down from Iowa to replicate what we did in Iowa,” she said.

Marco Rubio

Ohio Governor, John Kasich, plans eight stops in South Carolina between yesterday and tomorrow, but none of them are in the Upstate, according to a schedule from his campaign.

New York billionaire, Donald Trump, the frontrunner in South Carolina according to the latest polls, spoke at Clemson University yesterday and returns to Greenville on February 15 for an  appearance at the TD Convention Center. New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie, appeared in Charleston yesterday.

Randy Page, a spokesman for Bob Jones University, said on Monday that Bush and retired neurosurgeon, Ben Carson, have confirmed their attendance at a forum for Republican presidential candidates at the Christian college tomorrow, and others would be announced later.

Saturday’s debate, which will be televised by CBS News, begins at 9 p.m.

The South Carolina Republican Party and the Republican National Committee plan receptions in Greenville the day of the debate, according to Matt Moore, state GOP chair.