South Carolina Republican primary, 2008

The South Carolina Republican primary, 2008 was held on January 19, with 24 delegates at stake.cite web|url=http://politics.nytimes.com/election-guide/2008/primaries/republicanprimaries/index.html|title=The Primary Season: 2008 Republican Calendar|accessdate=2008-01-19] The Republican National Committee took half of South Carolina's 47 delegates away from them because the state committee moved its Republican primary before February 5. [cite web|url=http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_8003420|title=S.C. primary down and dirty|accessdate=2008-01-20] It was held on the same day as the Nevada Republican caucuses, 2008.

The primary has become one of several key early state nominating contests in the process of choosing the nominee of the Republican party for the November 2008 election for President of the United States. It has historically been more important for the Republican Party than for the Democratic Party; from its inception in 1980 through the election of 2000, the winner of the Republican presidential primary has gone on to win the nomination. [cite web|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0802/p01s02-uspo.html?page=1|title=GOP bellwether South Carolina shows a tangled race: Pg 1|accessdate=2008-01-20] As of 2008, the primary has cemented its place as the "First in the South" primary for both parties. [cite web|url=http://cameron.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/01/19/first-in-the-south/|title=First in the South|accessdate=2008-01-20]

Polling

As of January 19, RealClearPolitics reported that the average support from polls placed McCain in the lead with 26.9%, followed by Huckabee with 25.9%, Romney with 14.7%, Thompson with 14.6%, Paul with 4.4%, and Giuliani with 3.4%. [cite web|url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/sc/south_carolina_republican_primary-233.html|title=South Carolina Republican Primary Polling|accessdate=2008-01-19]

Results

Huckabee was for weeks leading in the state but lost by a 14,743 vote margin.
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John McCain won the primary.cite web|url=http://edition.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/state/#SC|title=Election Center 2008: Primary Results for South Carolina|accessdate=2008-01-22] [cite web|url=http://youdecide08.foxnews.com/2008/01/20/south-carolina-republican-primary-results/|title=South Carolina Republican Primary Results|accessdate=2008-01-20] [cite web|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21229231/|title=MSNBC: South Carolina Primary Results|accessdate=2008-01-20]

* Candidate withdrew his bid for the nomination prior to the reporting of the primary.On January 22nd 2008 after a poor showing Fred Thompson dropped out of the race. Duncan Hunter did so too.

Results of prior primaries

*1980: Ronald Reagan won with 54%, defeating runner-up John Connally.cite web|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0802/p01s02-uspo.html?page=2|title=GOP bellwether South Carolina shows a tangled race: Pg 2|accessdate=2008-01-20]
*1984: Uncontested (Reagan was the incumbent president and was re-nominated).
*1988: George H. W. Bush won with 49%, defeating runner-up Bob Dole.
*1992: George H. W. Bush won with 68%, defeating runner-up Pat Buchanan.
*1996: Bob Dole won with 45%, defeating runner-up Pat Buchanan.
*2000: George W. Bush won with 53%, defeating runner-up John McCain.
*2004: Uncontested (Bush was the incumbent president and was re-nominated).

ee also

* Republican Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2008
* South Carolina primary
* South Carolina Democratic primary, 2008

References

External links

* [http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/state/#val=SC Election Center 2008:Primary Results for South Carolina]
* [http://www.scfrw.org/presidential_primary_task_force.htm South Carolina GOP Presidential Primary Task Force]
* [http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2008/scprim08.html 2008 South Carolina Primary]