Democrats look to invigorate SC base. Cory Booker to headline Spartanburg healthcare panel.

Nearly 100 days away from when South Carolina will host the First in the Nation Democratic Primary, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., will headline a panel on healthcare, its affordability and abortion rights in Spartanburg Nov. 18.

Booker's appearance is part of the state party's signature three-pronged event, the Spratt issues conference, which is named after former U.S. Rep. John Spratt. The York Democrat led the 5th Congressional District for 30 years before Republican lawmaker Mick Mulvaney beat him in the 2010 elections.

South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Christale Spain said the conference was set up to reenergize the democratic base and equip party leaders as well as activists with the tools they need to educate voters for the upcoming 2024 elections. The time and location of Booker's Spartanburg appearance has not been finalized.

"Senator Booker has been a trailblazer in the Senate ― pushing to protect the Affordable Care Act, advocating for Black maternal health, and fighting to protect abortion access for women across the country," Spain said in a press statement. "As a National Advisory Board member for Biden-Harris 2024, he knows how important this next election is and he’s sure to energize our voters to get to the polls in February to keep President Biden and Vice President Harris in the White House.”

Democrats will host the first segment of the conference in Charleston Oct. 28, where Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and California Democrat Ro Khanna, will arrive in the Palmetto State to speak with Lowcountry Democrats.

Weeks later, Booker will speak to Upstate Democrats on panels about the affordable healthcare act and lowering Black maternal deaths. Columbia will host the third and final segment.

"We're going to use this opportunity to have multiple events across the state so we can build awareness and also just celebrate the achievements of President Biden and Vice president Kamala Harris and just talk about how those achievements translate here in South Carolina," Spain said.

Since Biden's announcement for a re-election run, national and state level Democrats have tried to distinguish Biden's economic and social policies from his Republican counterparts, and local Democrats have been yearning for a strategy to replicate local wins in a deeply Republican stronghold.

Kathryn Harvey, Spartanburg Democratic Party Chair, said the county party had started partnering with other counties like Greenville County in the Upstate, adding that a regional focus was important to activate voters, and she had already noticed a renewed enthusiasm.

"We just moved into our new office last week in downtown Spartanburg," Harvey said. "Our local party is really starting to build from an infrastructure standpoint, I'd say there's probably been more engagement from folks in the past 18 months than they seen in a while."

Booker's presence, she said, would also help galvanize younger voters. "I firmly believe that (Booker) can really bring people out and he is a trusted voice in a in a moment of mistrust, right and misinformation," she said. "I think that's true for a lot of folks in the Upstate and I think he also can galvanize some of our younger participants in democracy."

Harvey, who is also part of U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn's political fellowship, alongside Spartanburg County Councilman Mo Abusaft, invited 250 fellows to interact with each other. The experience, she said, will be key as the conference will focus on affordable healthcare, Medicaid and abortion access, and comes against the backdrop of a new "fetal heartbeat" abortion ban in South Carolina.

The current law, though passed, is now back in court over the lack of clarity about whether it's a six or nine week abortion ban as a fetus does not have a heart at six weeks and the nomenclature may generally apply to the ninth week of pregnancy when a heart is likely to be formed.

The Statehouse is likely to see attempts for a stricter, total abortion ban to pass in the upcoming election year, though Republican leaders seem reluctant to pursue another abortion debate. On the federal level, GOP candidates have leaned towards establishing a 15-week national abortion ban.

"Right now we've got seven or eight Republican presidential candidates trying to out-MAGA each other, and they're all about extreme abortion bans," Spain continued. "We've got to make sure that as Democrats we're showing where we stand on this issue."

South Carolina's primary will also prove to be consequential as Biden will not appear on New Hampshire's primary ballot in a break from longstanding tradition.

"New Hampshire did a great job when they were first. South Carolina is now first and (Biden's) going to be on our ballot and we're excited. This is historic time for us," Spain said. "This is the first time ever in history that rural voters, Black voters, southern voters— all get to have their voices heard."

Devyani Chhetri covers SC politics for The News. Reach her via email at dchhetri@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: First in the Nation primary: Cory Booker to headline Spartanburg panel