Jeff Duncan's BBQ: SC evangelical voters split between DeSantis, Scott in Trump Country.

In the last election cycle, South Carolina's white conservative, Christian base presented a united front in its support for former President Donald Trump. But as the state shows growing signs of a five-person primary contest, will the competition lead to stratifications and split that core voting bloc?

It's possible, if the state's biggest political event for conservatives can be taken at face-value.

Nearly 2,000 attendees packed the Anderson Sports and Entertainment Center Monday to find like-minded conservatives at U.S. House Rep. Jeff Duncan's annual fundraising event, the Faith & Freedom BBQ.

In its twelfth year, the event has often served as a political launchpad for national candidates.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, slated to be the keynote speaker, changed his schedule at the last minute to prepare for Hurricane Idalia's anticipated landfall. Duncan said "he was where he was needed to be."

However, his wife, Casey DeSantis, made the trip to South Carolina in his absence.

DeSantis, who was invited by far-right lawmakers to South Carolina even before he announced his candidacy, has long enjoyed popularity among the Upstate's evangelical base, and the presence of popular Christian leaders, including Bob Jones University staff, was emblematic of where the influential voting bloc stood.

But fellow GOP presidential hopeful Senator Tim Scott's appearance had attendees split over who best represented their Christian values.

SC politicos react to RNC debate: Haley strong on foreign policy. Scott fails to 'stand out.'

Scott and DeSantis compete on similar platforms

In 2016, white, evangelical Christian voters were split among Donald Trump (34%), Ted Cruz (26%), and Marco Rubio (21%), a Pew Research Center analysis showed. The stakes in 2024 are different. Trump leads the field by more than 40 percentage points.

Still, the South Carolina primary is six months away, and more candidates are likely flock to the state after Labor Day in an attempt to out-maneuver former President Donald Trump's looming popularity.

Most Republican candidates have already found common ground in anti-diversity, inclusion and equity policies in schools as well as anti-transgender rhetoric.

During the event, Both Scott and Casey DeSantis spoke about education policies, the southern border as well as the "weaponization of the federal government" and the need to course-correct regulations passed by the Democrats and the Biden administration.

But some voters felt that though they aligned with Scott on macro-economic policies, DeSantis' track record in Florida made him the candidate to root for in this cycle.

For Anderson County resident James Williams, 75, and his wife Judy, 77, the “social direction” of the country was the determining factor for their support.

"I believe that the family unit is the background about the backbone of our society," Williams and his wife said, adding that they were concerned about the curriculum in schools and parents rights. "We think parents and their children are a unit and our society is not authorized to intervene in the parent-child relationship."

During his time in the Governor's mansion, DeSantis has signed a plethora of controversial legislation ranging from banning gender-affirming care for youth under the age of 18, nixing funding for diversity, equity and inclusion programs in state colleges, along with banning teachings of "critical race theory" and gender identity.

This year, DeSantis also signed a six-week abortion ban similar to South Carolina's recently passed legislation.

In Anderson, Casey's surrogate appearance also demonstrated a unique thread of spousal power that traditionally does well with evangelical conservatives.

The Florida Gov. and first lady tug at voters concerned about the preservation of the family unit by mounting their image as a young family, gripped by fears of crayons being scribbled on the walls of the Governor's mansion and working toward protecting their own children from the so-called "woke" agenda.

Elva Cobb Martin, an Anderson-based Christian writer, also credited DeSantis' Florida blueprint for garnering her support. She claimed gender-affirming care for minors was not "healthcare" and the state's ban was the right message.

Meanwhile, Scott's biggest draw was that he "was a strong Christian." Cobb Martin said she would be happy if Scott were to win the ticket. But she believes DeSantis has a better shot.

An Aug. 10 presidential straw poll conducted by the Upstate grassroots Republican bloc saw a close battle between DeSantis and Scott for second place behind Trump. The poll also gave weight to a leaked DeSantis campaign memo, where he saw the South Carolina junior senator as a rising threat on the campaign trail.

Then there's Trump.

Cobb-Martin said Christians needed to know how Trump didn't always adhere to Biblical values.

For instance, Cobb Martin said most Christian voters did not know Trump was responsible for appointing Richard Grenell, a former ambassador and acting Director of National Intelligence, as the first openly gay man appointed to serve at a Cabinet-level position. She also said Trump expressed his support for gay rights to a conservative LGBTQ+ group back in Dec. 2022 in Mar-a-Lago.

"He just confirmed his full support for the gay agenda and I can never ever support that," she continued.

Trump's apparent support for gay rights may not make a difference if continues to poll as the most electable candidate.

Paul Gilbert, 75, a Saluda County resident, wore a Trump 2024 hat as he carried two glasses of sweet tea. Gilbert said he came to the barbecue to support Duncan and admired both Scott and DeSantis.

"They're both really nice guys. But I've been Trump supporting and all these indictments have only hardened that support," Gilbert said.

DeSantis's nomination, he said, would just be Trump 2.0.

"The media is gonna hammer him, the deep state is gonna hammer him, big tech is gonna hammer, so you may as well have Trump run," he said.

As for Scott, Gilbert admired the North Charleston native as his senator, but his feelings for the senator have not been the same since Scott decided to endorse Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski in last year's senate race against a Trump-picked candidate.

"I thought —'What happened? What is wrong with you?' She's flips depending on what day it is," Gilbert continued. "I just can't get over that."

GOP voters: 'Any Republican is better than Joe Biden'

Despite the internal tussle, GOP primary voters, turned off by "Bidenomics," are still months away from deciding who they want to back as the nominee. Many voters consistently say they will vote for any Republican who won the ticket, including former S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley, who was also campaigning in SC in Indian Land.

The reluctance to put a stamp of approval on one candidate isn't just a grassroots issue.

Duncan, who said Upstate SC was essential for Republican candidates to build a case for their candidacy, has remained relatively quiet about who he supports. He told the Greenville News Monday that it is likely that he may not even endorse anyone until late February 2024.

"I'm friends with so many people in this race, so I may just stay neutral all the way until after the South Carolina primaries," Duncan said.

Five of South Carolina's seven U.S. House representatives have thrown their weight behind their favored candidates. In the Upstate, Fourth Congressional District's William Timmons, R-S.C., announced he was part of former President Donald Trump's S.C. Leadership team. Meanwhile, 5th Congressional District Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., has rallied support for Haley.

Duncan said he has served with most of the candidates currently in the primary field.

"My friendships with all these candidates mean more to me than endorsing and ticking a lot of them but one off. I'd rather have those friendships when I go to my grave."

Devyani Chhetri is the state government watchdog reporter. You can reach her at dchhetri@gannett.com or @ChhetriDevyani on Twitter. 

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: SC evangelical voters said DeSantis, Scott represent their values