Buttigieg returns to South Carolina to court the Black voters who stalled his first White House run
ORANGEBURG, S.C. (AP) — The last time Pete Buttigieg was giving a political speech in South Carolina, it was to mark a distant finish in the state’s primary that…
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg visited South Carolina on August 22, 2026, for the South Carolina Democratic Party's Spratt Issues Conference, aiming to reconnect with the Black voters he struggled to win during his 2020 presidential campaign. The trip marked a significant change in reception compared to his 2020 visit, where Buttigieg finished fourth in the state primary and faced criticism for his inability to connect with Black voters.
During his speech, Buttigieg received two standing ovations in a Black church and an NAACP Freedom Fund Dinner, with attendees praising his efforts in bringing federal funds to the region. Jaime Harrison, a former Democratic National Committee chair and current South Carolina Democratic Party chairman, emphasized the importance of Buttigieg winning over Black voters in the 2028 Democratic presidential primary, as South Carolina's early primary allows the state to have a significant influence on the nomination process.
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