For many Democratic candidates, the road to the presidency currently goes through South Carolina, an early primary state where Black voters dominate the state’s Democratic voter base.

Newsom and Beshear visit South Carolina with their messages

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has not formally declared his candidacy but is considered an early front-runner for the Democratic nomination, visited South Carolina earlier in July. Newsom’s visit included attending a Black church and making an appearance with South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, one of the Democratic Party’s most influential members. Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign was revived after winning the South Carolina Democratic primary on the strength of Clyburn’s endorsement and Black voters’ support. Biden then supported a move to make South Carolina the first Democratic primary in the election cycle, further boosting its importance for potential nominees.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom greets attendees at Bella’s Simple Occasions event space on July 8, 2025 in Bennettsville, South Carolina. The governor is on the first of a two-day tour of rural counties in South Carolina, hosted by the state Democratic Party. | Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images

California Gov. Gavin Newsom reaches out to an attendee at the Kershaw County Center on Aging on July 8, 2025 in Camden, South Carolina. The governor is on the first of a two-day tour of rural counties in South Carolina, hosted by the state Democratic Party. | Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images

California Gov. Gavin Newsom greets attendees at Bella’s Simple Occasions event space on July 8, 2025 in Bennettsville, South Carolina. The governor is on the first of a two-day tour of rural counties in South Carolina, hosted by the state Democratic Party. | Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images

Newsom is one of several potential Democratic nominees who have recently visited South Carolina or will soon travel to the Palmetto State. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who, like Newsom, is set to leave office soon because of term limits, is scheduled to visit the state in mid-July. He is expected to tout his progressive record to contrast himself with Newsom, who has presented himself as a moderate and criticized “woke” Democratic politics. Beshear also plans to explicitly appeal to Black voters, pointing out accomplishments in Kentucky, such as banning hair-based discrimination, removing a statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis and making Juneteenth a holiday in the state. “The current federal administration wants to make diversity a dirty word,” Beshear plans to say in an upcoming speech, according to excerpts that have been reported ahead of time, ABC News reported. “They want people to believe that equity means everyone isn’t worthy of opportunities.”

Winning over Black voters in South Carolina and across the U.S.

Other potential candidates are also drawing upon their appeal to Black voters, their relationships with top Black leaders within the party, or their own identities. Vice President Kamala Harris, the first Black woman to lead the Democratic ticket, has not ruled out another run for president — nor has her vice presidential pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who visited South Carolina in May to attend Clyburn’s World Famous Fish Fry. Joining them at that event was Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. California Rep. Ro Khanna, a prominent progressive in the party, will be visiting South Carolina in July alongside Illinois Congressman Jonathan Jackson, the son of Civil Rights Movement icon Jesse Jackson. Khanna has been in contact with Clyburn, as has former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who previously served as President Barack Obama’s chief of staff.

All of these candidates would face a crowded field that may also include former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, and Govs. JB Pritzker of Illinois, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvani,a and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan. With Democrats on the back foot in a polarized and Republican-dominated political landscape, a number of candidates are already making moves toward 2028. This early start matches the advice given by Rep. Jasmine Crockett, who told The Associated Press that potential Democratic candidates “need to be more visible earlier” and that the party’s voters “want their presidential nominee now.”

All of these Democratic hopefuls have work cut out for them if they want to convince the party’s voters and their fellow politicians that they have the vision to retake the White House and reverse many of the policies currently being put in place. In order to do so, they’ll need to win over the party’s Black voting base, and many of the candidates are starting that effort in South Carolina.
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