2008 South Carolina Republican presidential primary

← 2000 January 19, 2008 (2008-01-19) 2012 →

Nominee John McCain Mike Huckabee Home state Arizona Arkansas Delegate count 18 6 Popular vote 147,733 132,990 Percentage 33.15% 29.84%   Nominee Fred Thompson Mitt Romney Home state Tennessee Massachusetts Delegate count 0 0 Popular vote 69,681 68,177 Percentage 15.63% 15.3%

Election results by county.   John McCain   Mike Huckabee

Elections in South Carolina
Federal government U.S. President 1788-89 1792 1796 1800 1804 1808 1812 1816 1820 1824 1828 1832 1836 1840 1844 1848 1852 1856 1860 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 Rep 2004 Dem 2008 Dem Rep 2012 Rep 2016 Dem 2020 Dem 2024 Dem Rep U.S. Senate 1897 sp 1898 1902 1903 1907 1908 1909 1913 1914 1918 sp 1918 1920 1924 1926 1930 1932 1936 1938 sp 1941 1942 1944 1948 1950 1954 1956 1960 1962 1966 sp 1966 1968 1972 1974 1978 1980 1984 1986 1990 1992 1996 1998 2002 2004 2008 2010 2014 sp 2014 2016 2020 2022 2026 2028 U.S. House of Representatives 1788 1790 1793 1794 1796 1798 1800 1803 1804 1806 1808 1810 1812 1814 1816 1818 1820 1823 1824 1826 1828 1830 1833 1834 1836 1838 1840 1843 1844 1846 1848 1850 1853 1854 1856 1858 1860 1868 1870 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 7th 1901 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 4th 1915 1916 1918 6th 1919 7th 1919 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 4th 1953 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1st 1971 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2nd 2001 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 1st 2013 2014 2016 5th 2017 2018 2020 2022 2024 List of specials
State offices General elections 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2018 2020 2022 Gubernatorial elections 1865 1868 1870 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1930 1934 1938 1942 1946 1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 2026 State Senate elections 2008 2016 2020 2024 State House elections 2018 2020 2022
Ballot measures 2006 Amendment 1 2008 2010 2012 2014
Charleston Mayoral elections 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
v t e

The 2008 South Carolina Republican presidential primary was held on January 19, with 24 delegates at stake.^[1] 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.^[1][2] 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.^[3] As of 2008, the primary has cemented its place as the "First in the South" primary for both parties.^[4]

This state's 24 delegates would be awarded on a "Winner-Takes-All" basis. 12 Delegates for the Statewide winner and 12 delegates awarded on a District-winner basis awarding 2 delegates for each of the states then 6 Congressional districts.^[5]

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%.^[6]

Results

Huckabee was for weeks leading in the state but lost by a 14,743 vote margin. He did manage to win Congressional districts 3, 4 and 5 in the North of the state earning him a total of 6 delegates.^[5]

John McCain won the statewide primary earning him 12 Delegates^[7][8][9] as well as Congressional Districts 1, 2 and 6. earning him an additional 6 delegates for a total of 18.^[5]

* Candidate withdrew his bid for the nomination prior to the reporting of the primary. On January 22, 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.^[11]
• 1984: Uncontested (Reagan was the incumbent president and was re-nominated).^[11]
• 1988: George H. W. Bush won with 49%, defeating runner-up Bob Dole.^[11]
• 1992: George H. W. Bush won with 68%, defeating runner-up Pat Buchanan.^[11]
• 1996: Bob Dole won with 45%, defeating runner-up Pat Buchanan.^[11]
• 2000: George W. Bush won with 53%, defeating runner-up John McCain.^[11]
• 2004: Uncontested (Bush was the incumbent president and was re-nominated).