Your SC politics briefing

Welcome to your weekly South Carolina politics briefing, a newsletter curated by The State’s politics and government team.

Questions surrounding the separation of judicial and legislative powers came to the forefront this week when longtime Richland County Judge Joseph Strickland sued the Richland County Legislative Delegation for failing to submit his name to Gov. Henry McMaster for reappointment as master-in-equity.

Masters-in-equity are county-wide judgeships that oversee cases forwarded by state circuit courts, and while Strickland has served in that role since 1989, he’s been in “carryover status” since 2021.

At issue in Stickland’s challenge is whether the Legislative Delagation of Richland County, which comprises the state senators and representatives elected from the county, has a statutory obligation to submit a candidate’s name determined by the Judicial Merit Selection Commission to be qualified, when the commission recommends only one candidate to the delegation.

Now, the state Supreme Court has been left to decide the matter.

(Photo via The State’s Josh Boucher)

DeSantis on potential Trump indictment

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was in Columbia on Tuesday morning to file for candidacy in the state’s Republican primary election, becoming the first Republican candidate to officially secure their place on the state’s ballot.

Addressing reporters at a news conference devoted to his plans to reform so-called “wokeness” in the military, DeSantis was asked about the news of Trump’s potential new indictment. He said he had not seen the latest news about a possible indictment but said that he’s seen an attempt to “criminalize politics and criminalize differences.

“Criminal charges is not just because you may have done something wrong. It’s did you behave criminally?” said DeSantis, who has consistently trailed Trump in second place in GOP primary polling.

DeSantis, so far, has been Trump’s closest competitor among a crowded Republican field.

“Meanwhile,” DeSantis added, “Hunter Biden, would’ve been in jail if he were a Republican. One of my jobs as president will be to end the weaponization of these agencies, and I will get that job done.”

But DeSantis had a small gaffe while in Columbia. During an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper the Florida governor misidentified the part of the state with Greenville and Spartanburg.

“We’ve got great support in the upcountry in South Carolina which we’re building, and of course my wife went to the College at Charleston so we know the lowcountry well, and I think we’re going to build a lot of support here, so this is a great state for us,” DeSantis said.

Of course the northwest part of South Carolina is known as the Upstate. We suspect DeSantis misspoke in the interview and conflated Upstate and Lowcountry.

Gov. Henry McMaster, a Trump supporter, told reporters Wednesday he had not read up on Trump’s potential indictment related to Jan. 6

He however continued to criticize the indictments over the federal documents case and the alleged hush money case out of New York saying the cases have no substance.

McMaster said he doesn’t believe Trump did anything critical related to Jan. 6.

“I’ve read what he said, I watch it on television and what he said and what they say he said are two different things,” McMaster said. “And remember you do have freedom of speech particularly in the political process. We all have to be careful, but these actions I think are, those I have seen and able to read are not based on fact or law.”

Read more: SC’s Haley calls ongoing Trump legal issues, possible Jan. 6 indictment a ‘distraction’

(Photo via The Hill)

2024 Bites

▪

▪ The State: SC’s Lindsey Graham likely to face Republican challenger amid conservative grumblings

▪ The State: In GOP race hot with name-calling, SC’s Scott and Haley are keeping it clean — so far

▪ The Hill: Trump holds lead over DeSantis in New Hampshire primary poll

▪ NY Times: Super PAC Backing Scott Plans $40 Million Ad Campaign

▪ NBC News: Five months in, Nikki Haley is still waiting for her moment

▪ NBC News: Ron DeSantis fires roughly a dozen staffers in a campaign shake-up

Buzz Bites

▪ Scott Farmer, the longtime campaign manager for U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, has joined Charleston-based digital communications firm Push Digital as the company’s chief operating officer. On the 2020 election night, Graham called Farmer “the best campaign manager in the United States. He’s a terrific campaign manager, (but) he’s a better father, he’s a better husband, he’s a better friend.”

▪ Lindsey Graham could potentially face a potential Republican primary challenge from S.C. Congressman Ralph Norman of Rock Hill.

▪ The pro-Nikki Haley super PAC SFA Fund Inc. will run ads on TV for the first time since she announced her bid for the presidency in Feb, according to Politico Reporter Natalie Allison via Twitter. The TV ads will air in New Hampshire and Iowa.

▪ SC State Rep. Gil Gatch, a Dorchester Republican, and his wife Heather, announced the birth of their first child, Claire. She is 8 pounds, 12 ounces and 21.25 inches, the state representative said on Twitter.

Mark Your Calendar

July 21

Chris Christie campaigns in Columbia

Aug. 5

Trump headlines Silver Elephant Gala

Aug. 17

S.C. Chamber of Commerce Washington Night

Aug. 23

Republican presidential debate in Milwaukee

Aug. 28

Jeff Duncan’s 12th Annual Faith & Freedom BBQ in Anderson

Oct. 11

U.S. Court hears oral arguments in SC-1 redistricting case

Oct. 31

Deadline to file for the S.C. GOP Presidential Primary

Nov. 1-10

Filing period for the S.C. Democratic Presidential Primary

Nov. 7

State Senate District 42 special election

Feb. 3, 2024

S.C. Democratic Party Presidential Primary

Feb. 24, 2024

S.C. GOP Presidential Primary

Before we adjourn

As we move closer toward the 2024 presidential election cycle, it’s worth mentioning that South Carolinans continue to show more loyalty toward former President Trump than towards Nikki Haley and Tim Scott.

The trend suggests that while Haley and Scott are popular among some voters in South Carolina, Trump continues to dominate the hearts and minds of Palmetto State voters — even to the detriment of longtime South Carolina U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, who earlier this month was booed for several minutes by his own constituents at a Trump rally in Pickens.

The Pickens event reportedly led some conservatives to suspect that Graham is loosing steam within the party and may now may be vulnerable enough to be defeated during his next Senate bid, according to Politico.

But, to be fair, this isn’t the first time Graham has fended off speculations surrounding his ability to hold onto his seat in the face of a challenger. In 2020 he fended off Democrat Jamie Harrison, after reports Graham was dipping in the polls following his ongoing support of former President Trump.

Notably, Norman endorsed Graham during his last bid for the Senate in 2020 and said that Graham was instrumental in helping Trump appoint a slew of conservative judges, but that has now apparently changed, according to Politico.

Pulling the newsletter together this week was Javon L. Harris, reporter on The State’s politics and state government team. You can keep up with him on Twitter and send him tips on Twitter at @JavonLHarris_JD or by email at jaharris@thestate.com.

To stay on top of South Carolina politics and election news, you can chat with us on Facebook, email us tips and follow our stories at scpolitics.com.