Annie Andrews is among the Democratic presidential hopefuls visiting South Carolina ahead of the state’s Jan. 22, 2028 primary. The visits give possible 2028 candidates an early chance to gauge support in the state that will open the party’s primary calendar.
Andy Beshear said in a recent interview that voters will want “something better” after four years of Donald Trump. He said they will want “decency” and “kindness,” and added that the next Democratic president should make “an aspirational investment in housing.”
Andy Beshear in South Carolina
Beshear has already visited South Carolina, joining Gavin Newsom, Wes Moore, Ruben Gallego, Mark Kelly, Chris Murphy, Cory Booker and Ro Khanna. Pete Buttigieg, Rahm Emanuel and Mitch Landrieu also visited South Carolina in 2026, a sign that the state is being used as an early testing ground well before the primary vote.
That activity matters because South Carolina will host the nation’s first primary on Jan. 22, 2028, putting the state first in line for Democratic contenders seeking a foothold. Iowa will hold the first GOP caucuses in early January 2028, and South Carolina will host the South’s first GOP primary later that month.
Kamala Harris in Columbia
Former Vice President Kamala Harris recently participated in a Columbia fundraiser, but some Democrats view her moment differently after the 2024 race. The competing view inside the party is that newer or less-tested contenders may have more room to define themselves before South Carolina voters.
Beshear’s interview sharpened that contrast. He said, “So, how do you know exactly what people are going through without listening to them? Are you going to presuppose that you have all the answers?” He also said, “The solutions are already there. Community leaders have already been working towards them for decades. What they need is a good partner and that requires a lot of listening.”
Jon Ossoff and the months ahead
More visits are expected in the months ahead from Jon Ossoff, J.B. Pritzker, Gretchen Whitmer and Josh Shapiro. Those trips will add to the first round of attention already flowing toward South Carolina as contenders look for room to build before the 2028 calendar turns.
For voters there, the early travel is already sorting the field. The question now is not whether South Carolina will matter, but which Democratic hopeful can turn these visits into an actual opening when the Jan. 22, 2028 primary arrives.
