2016 South Carolina Republican presidential primary
← 2012 February 20, 2016 (2016-02-20) 2024 →
← NH
NV →
 
Candidate Donald Trump Marco Rubio Ted Cruz
Home state New York Florida Texas
Delegate count 50 0 0
Popular vote 240,882 166,565 165,417
Percentage 32.51% 22.48% 22.33%
 
Candidate Jeb Bush John Kasich Ben Carson
Home state Florida Ohio Virginia
Delegate count 0 0 0
Popular vote 58,056 56,410 53,551
Percentage 7.84% 7.61% 7.23%
Election results by county.

The 2016 South Carolina Republican presidential primary took place on February 20 in the U.S. state of South Carolina, marking the Republican Party's third nominating contest in their series of presidential primaries ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

The Democratic Party held its Nevada caucuses on the same day, while their South Carolina primary would only take place a week later on February 27.

The states delegates are allocated in this way: 29 delegates are awarded to the winner of the primary; 3 delegates are awarded to the winner of each of the seven congressional districts.[1]

Following a poor result in the primary, Jeb Bush announced the suspension of his campaign.[2]

Forums and debates

January 9, 2016 – Columbia, South Carolina The Kemp Forum was held in the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center by the Jack Kemp Foundation. Bush, Carson, Christie, Fiorina, Huckabee, Kasich, and Rubio attended. The forum was moderated by Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and Senator Tim Scott.[3][4]

January 14, 2016 – North Charleston, South Carolina

Candidate Airtime[5] Polls
Trump 17:12 34.5%
Cruz 17:52 19.3%
Rubio 14:19 11.8%
Carson 8:26 9.0%
Christie 14:25 3.5%
Bush 12:36 4.8%
Kasich 12:26 2.3%
Candidate Airtime Polls
Fiorina 12:06 2.8%
Paul N/A 2.3%
Huckabee 13:00 1.8%
Santorum 12:18 0.0%

On December 8, 2015, it was announced that Fox Business Network would host an additional debate two days after the State of the Union address.[6] The debate was held in the North Charleston Coliseum in North Charleston, South Carolina. The anchor and managing editor of Business News, Neil Cavuto, and anchor and global markets editor, Maria Bartiromo, reprised their roles as moderators for the prime-time debate, which began at 9 p.m. EST. The earlier debate, which started at 6 p.m. EST, was again moderated by anchors Trish Regan and Sandra Smith.[7][8]

On December 22, 2015, Fox Business Network announced that in order to qualify for the prime-time debate, candidates had to either: place in the top six nationally, based on an average of the five most recent national polls recognized by FOX News; place in the top five in Iowa, based on an average of the five most recent Iowa state polls recognized by FOX News; or place in the top five in New Hampshire, based on an average of the five most recent New Hampshire state polls recognized by FOX News. In order to qualify for the first debate, candidates must have registered at least one percent in one of the five most recent national polls.[9]

On January 11, 2016, seven candidates were revealed to have been invited to the prime-time debate: Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Chris Christie, Ted Cruz, John Kasich, Marco Rubio, and Donald Trump. The participants were introduced in order of their poll rankings at the debate.

Carly Fiorina, Mike Huckabee, and Rick Santorum participated in the undercard debate. Rand Paul was also invited to the undercard debate, but said, "I won't participate in anything that's not first tier because we have a first tier campaign."[10][11] The candidates were introduced in order of their poll rankings. The first question was to assess the economy. The next questions asked Fiorina about the role of the US in the world, Santorum about the Iran deal, and Huckabee about the solution to Afghanistan's problems.

February 13, 2016 – Greenville, South Carolina The ninth debate, and second debate in the month of February, was held in another early primary state of South Carolina, and aired on CBS News. The debate was moderated by John Dickerson in the Peace Center, began at 9 p.m. ET and lasted for 90 minutes.[12]

Endorsements

Jeb Bush
Statewide officials
U.S. Senators
State Senators
State Representatives
Ted Cruz
U.S. Representatives
State Senators
State Representatives
John Kasich
State Senators
State Representatives
Newspapers
Marco Rubio
Statewide officials
U.S. Senators
U.S. Representatives
State Senators
State Representatives
Mayors
Donald Trump
Statewide officials
State Representatives

Withdrawn candidates

Mike Huckabee (Withdrawn)
State Representatives
Rand Paul (Withdrawn)
U.S. Representatives
State Senators
State Representatives

Polling

Aggregate polls

Source of poll

aggregation

Dates

administered

Dates

updated

Marco Rubio
Republican 		Donald Trump
Republican 		Ted Cruz
Republican 		Jeb Bush
Republican 		Margin
RealClearPolitics until February 20, 2016 February 20, 2016 18.8% 31.8% 18.5% 10.7% Trump +13.0
FiveThirtyEight until February 20, 2016 February 20, 2016 19.8% 30.5% 19.5% 11.4% Trump +10.7
Poll source Date 1st 2nd 3rd Other
Primary results February 20, 2016 Donald Trump32.51% Marco Rubio22.48% Ted Cruz22.33% Jeb Bush 7.84%, John Kasich 7.61%, Ben Carson 7.23%
Opinion Savvy/

Augusta Chronicle[60]

Margin of error: ± 3.5% Sample size: 780

February 18–19, 2016 Donald Trump
26.9% 		Marco Rubio
24.1% 		Ted Cruz

18.8%

Jeb Bush 10.6%, Ben Carson 8.2%, John Kasich 7.5%, Undecided 3.9%
South Carolina

House GOP[61]

Margin of error: ± 2.0% Sample size: 3500

February 18, 2016 Donald Trump
33.51% 		Ted Cruz

18.96%

Marco Rubio

18.07%

Jeb Bush 11.56%, John Kasich 8.49%, Ben Carson 5.22%, Undecided 4.19%
National Research[62]

Margin of error: ± ?% Sample size: 500

February 17–18, 2016 Donald Trump
32% 		Ted Cruz

19%

Marco Rubio

18%

Jeb Bush 8%, John Kasich 7%, Ben Carson 6%, Refused 2%, Undecided 7%
ARG[63]

Margin of error: ± 5.0% Sample size: 401

February 17–18, 2016 Donald Trump
34% 		Marco Rubio

22%

John Kasich

14%

Ted Cruz 13%, Jeb Bush 9%, Ben Carson 4%, Other 1%, Undecided 3%
Emerson College[64]

Margin of error: ± 4.7% Sample size: 418

February 16–18, 2016 Donald Trump
36% 		Ted Cruz

19%

Marco Rubio

18%

John Kasich 10%, Jeb Bush 10%, Ben Carson 6%
Clemson University[65]

Margin of error: ± 3.0% Sample size: 650

February 14–18, 2016 Donald Trump
28% 		Ted Cruz

19%

Marco Rubio

15%

Jeb Bush 10%, John Kasich 9%, Ben Carson 6%, Undecided 13%
ARG[66]

Margin of error: ± 5.0% Sample size: 400

February 16–17, 2016 Donald Trump
33% 		Marco Rubio

20%

John Kasich

15%

Ted Cruz 13%, Jeb Bush 8%, Ben Carson 3%, Other 1%, Undecided 7%
Harper Polling[67]

Margin of error: ± 4% Sample size: 599

February 16–17, 2016 Donald Trump
29% 		Ted Cruz

17%

Marco Rubio

15%

Jeb Bush 14%, John Kasich 13%, Ben Carson 8%, Undecided 5%
NBC News/Wall Street

Journal/Marist College[68]

Margin of error: ± 3.6% Sample size: 722

February 15–17, 2016 Donald Trump
28% 		Ted Cruz

23%

Marco Rubio

15%

Jeb Bush 13%, Ben Carson 9%, John Kasich 9%, Undecided 5%
Fox News[69]

Margin of error: ± 3.5% Sample size: 759

February 15–17, 2016 Donald Trump
32% 		Ted Cruz

19%

Marco Rubio

15%

Jeb Bush 9%, Ben Carson 9%, John Kasich 6%, Other 1%, Undecided 8%
Emerson College[70]

Margin of error: ± 5.0% Sample size: 315

February 15–16, 2016 Donald Trump
33% 		Ted Cruz

20%

Marco Rubio

19%

John Kasich 9%, Jeb Bush 9%, Ben Carson 5%, Other 1%, Undecided 4%
ARG[71]

Margin of error: ± 5.0% Sample size: 400

February 14–16, 2016 Donald Trump
33% 		Marco Rubio

16%

Ted Cruz

14%

John Kasich 14%, Jeb Bush 9%, Ben Carson 3%, Other 2%, Undecided 8%
Monmouth University[72]

Margin of error: ± 4.9% Sample size: 400

February 14–16, 2016 Donald Trump
35% 		Ted Cruz

19%

Marco Rubio

17%

John Kasich 9%, Jeb Bush 8%, Ben Carson 7%, Undecided 5%
Bloomberg/Selzer[73]

Margin of error: ± 4.4% Sample size: 502

February 13–16, 2016 Donald Trump
36% 		Ted Cruz

17%

Marco Rubio

15%

Jeb Bush 13%, Ben Carson 9%, John Kasich 7%, Undecided 3%
Public Policy Polling[74]

Margin of error: ± 3.3% Sample size: 897

February 14–15, 2016 Donald Trump
35% 		Ted Cruz

18%

Marco Rubio

18%

John Kasich 10%, Jeb Bush 7%, Ben Carson 7%, Undecided 6%
South Carolina

House GOP[75]

Margin of error: ± 2.4% Sample size: 1700

February 15, 2016 Donald Trump
33.57% 		Ted Cruz

15.54%

Marco Rubio

14.83%

Jeb Bush 14.54%, John Kasich 7.98%, Ben Carson 6.55%, Undecided 7.03%
CNN/ORC[76]

Margin of error: ± 5% Sample size: 404

February 10–15, 2016 Donald Trump
38% 		Ted Cruz

22%

Marco Rubio

14%

Jeb Bush 10%, Ben Carson 6%, John Kasich 4%, Jim Gilmore 1%, Someone Else 1%, Undecided 1%, No Opinion 3%
ARG[77]

Margin of error: ± 5.0% Sample size: 400

February 12–13, 2016 Donald Trump
35% 		John Kasich

15%

Marco Rubio

14%

Ted Cruz 12%, Jeb Bush 10%, Ben Carson 2%, Other 2%, Undecided 10%
South Carolina

House GOP[78]

Margin of error: ± ?%

Sample size: 1200

February 11–12, 2016 Donald Trump
34.5% 		Ted Cruz

15.5%

Jeb Bush

13%

Marco Rubio 12.5%, John Kasich 8.5%, Ben Carson 5%, Undecided 11%
CBS News/YouGov[79]

Margin of error: ± 5.2% Sample size: 744

February 10–12, 2016 Donald Trump
42% 		Ted Cruz

20%

Marco Rubio

15%

John Kasich 9%, Jeb Bush 6%, Ben Carson 6%, Chris Christie 1%, Carly Fiorina 0%, Jim Gilmore 0%, No preference 1%
Opinion Savvy/

Augusta Chronicle[80]

Margin of error: ± 3.5% Sample size: 779

February 10–11, 2016 Donald Trump
36.3% 		Ted Cruz

19.6%

Marco Rubio

14.6%

Jeb Bush 10.9%, John Kasich 8.7%, Ben Carson 4.7%, Undecided 5.2%
NBC/WSJ/Marist[81]

Margin of error: ± 3.7% Sample size: 718

January 17–23, 2016 Donald Trump
36% 		Ted Cruz

20%

Marco Rubio

14%

Jeb Bush 9%, Ben Carson 8%, Mike Huckabee 2%, Chris Christie 2%, Rand Paul 1%, John Kasich 1%, Carly Fiorina 1%, Other 0%, Undecided 6%
CBS/YouGov[82]

Margin of error: ± 5.3% Sample size: 804

January 18–21, 2016 Donald Trump
40% 		Ted Cruz

21%

Marco Rubio

13%

Ben Carson 9%, Jeb Bush 8%, Rand Paul 3%, Mike Huckabee 2%, John Kasich 2%, Chris Christie 1%, Carly Fiorina 1%, Rick Santorum 0%, Jim Gilmore 0%, No Preference 0%
Morris News/Opinion Savvy[83]

Margin of error: ± 3.7% Sample size: 683

January 15, 2016 Donald Trump
32% 		Ted Cruz

18%

Jeb Bush

13%

Marco Rubio 11%, Ben Carson 9%, Chris Christie 4%, Carly Fiorina 3%, Mike Huckabee 2%, John Kasich 2%, Rand Paul 2%, Rick Santorum 1%, Undecided 3%
Associated Industries of Florida

Margin of error: ± 3.9%

Sample size: 600

December 16–17, 2015 Donald Trump
27% 		Ted Cruz
27% 		Marco Rubio

12%

Ben Carson 11%, Jeb Bush 7%, Others 5%, Undecided 11%
CBS News/YouGov

Margin of error: ± 5%

Sample size: 1469

December 14–17, 2015 Donald Trump
38% 		Ted Cruz

23%

Marco Rubio

12%

Ben Carson 9%, Jeb Bush 7%, Rand Paul 4%, John Kasich 2%, Chris Christie 1%, Carly Fiorina 1%, Mike Huckabee 1%, Lindsey Graham 1%, Rick Santorum 0%, George Pataki 0%, Jim Gilmore 0%, No preference 1%
Opinion Savvy/Augusta Chronicle

Margin of error: ± 4.2%

Sample size: 536

December 16, 2015 Donald Trump
28.3% 		Ted Cruz

21.1%

Marco Rubio

11.6%

Jeb Bush 9.6%, Ben Carson 9.5%, Chris Christie 5.5%, Carly Fiorina 4.6%, Rand Paul 2.6%, Mike Huckabee 2.1%, Lindsey Graham 1.9%, John Kasich 1.4%, Rick Santorum 0.5%, George Pataki 0.2%, Undecided 1.3%
Winthrop University

Margin of error: ± 3.4%

Sample size: 828

November 30 – December 7, 2015 Donald Trump
24% 		Ted Cruz

16%

Ben Carson

14%

Marco Rubio 11%, Jeb Bush 9%, Mike Huckabee 2%, Lindsey Graham 2%, Carly Fiorina 1%, Rand Paul 1%, Chris Christie 1%, John Kasich 1%, Rick Santorum 0%, George Pataki 0%
Fox News

Margin of error: ± 4.5%

Sample size: 437

December 5–8, 2015 Donald Trump
35% 		Ben Carson

15%

Marco Rubio/Ted Cruz

14%

Jeb Bush 5%, Rand Paul 2%, Lindsey Graham 2%, Chris Christie 2%, Carly Fiorina 1%, John Kasich 1%, Mike Huckabee 1%, Rick Santorum 1%, George Pataki 0%, None of the Above 1%, Don't Know 5%
CBS News/YouGov

Margin of error: ± 5.1%

Sample size: ?

November 15–19, 2015 Donald Trump
35% 		Ben Carson

19%

Marco Rubio

16%

Ted Cruz 13%, Jeb Bush 5%, Lindsey Graham 3%, Carly Fiorina 2%, Mike Huckabee 2%, John Kasich 2%, Chris Christie 1%, Rand Paul 1%, Rick Santorum 1%, George Pataki 0%, Bobby Jindal 0%, Jim Gilmore 0%
Public Policy Polling

Margin of error: ± 3.5%

Sample size: 787

November 7–8, 2015 Donald Trump
25% 		Ben Carson

21%

Ted Cruz

15%

Marco Rubio 13%, Jeb Bush 8%, Carly Fiorina 5%, John Kasich 3%, Lindsey Graham 2%, Mike Huckabee 2%, Rand Paul 1%, Chris Christie 1%, Rick Santorum 1%, Bobby Jindal 0%, Jim Gilmore 0%, George Pataki 0%, Undecided 3%
CBS News/YouGov

Margin of error: ± 3.4%

Sample size: 843

October 15–23, 2015 Donald Trump
40% 		Ben Carson

23%

Ted Cruz

8%

Marco Rubio 7%, Jeb Bush 6%, Carly Fiorina 3%, Lindsey Graham 2%, Mike Huckabee 2%, John Kasich 2%, Rand Paul 1%, Chris Christie 1%, Bobby Jindal 1%, Rick Santorum 1%, Jim Gilmore 0%, George Pataki 0%, No Preference 5%
Clemson-Palmetto Archived 2015-10-29 at the Wayback Machine

Margin of error: ± 4%

Sample size: 600

October 13–23, 2015 Donald Trump
23% 		Ben Carson
19% 		Ted Cruz

8%

Carly Fiorina 6%, Jeb Bush 7%, Marco Rubio 5%, Lindsey Graham 3%, Rand Paul 1%, Mike Huckabee 2%, Chris Christie 1%, John Kasich 2%, Bobby Jindal 1%, Rick Santorum 0%, Jim Gilmore 0%, George Pataki 0%, undecided/DK 15%
CNN/ORC

Margin of error: ± 4.5%

Sample size: 521

October 3–10, 2015 Donald Trump
36% 		Ben Carson

18%

Marco Rubio

9%

Carly Fiorina 7%, Jeb Bush 6%, Ted Cruz 5%, Lindsey Graham 5%, Rand Paul 4%, Mike Huckabee 3%, Chris Christie 2%, John Kasich 1%, Rick Santorum 1%, Jim Gilmore *%, George Pataki *% Bobby Jindal *%, None 1%, No opinion 4%
Gravis Marketing

Margin of error: ± 3.6%

Sample size: 762

October 1, 2015 Donald Trump
29.1% 		Ben Carson

16.4%

Carly Fiorina

11.1%

Ted Cruz 8.1%, Marco Rubio 8%, Jeb Bush 5.9%, John Kasich 3.5%, Mike Huckabee 3.1%, Lindsey Graham 1.5%, Chris Christie 1.4%, Rand Paul 0.9%, Rick Santorum 0.5%, George Pataki 0.3% Bobby Jindal 0.3%, Unsure 9.9%
CBS News/YouGov

Margin of error: ± 4.5%

Sample size: 1002

September 3–10, 2015 Donald Trump
36% 		Ben Carson

21%

Ted Cruz

6%

Lindsey Graham 5%, Jeb Bush 5%, John Kasich 4%, Mike Huckabee 3%, Carly Fiorina 3%, Marco Rubio 3%, Scott Walker 3%, Chris Christie 2%, Bobby Jindal 1%, Rick Santorum 1%, Rand Paul 1%, Rick Perry 0%, George Pataki 0%, Jim Gilmore 0%, No preference 5%
Public Policy Polling

Margin of error: ± 3.6%

Sample size: 764

September 3–6, 2015 Donald Trump
37% 		Ben Carson

21%

Ted Cruz

6%

Jeb Bush 6%, Carly Fiorina 4%, John Kasich 4%, Marco Rubio 4%, Lindsey Graham 3%, Mike Huckabee 3%, Scott Walker 3%, Rand Paul 3%, Rick Santorum 2%, Rick Perry 1%, Chris Christie 1%, Bobby Jindal 1%, George Pataki 0%, Jim Gilmore 0%
Monmouth University Archived 2015-08-29 at the Wayback Machine

Margin of error: ± 4.6%

Sample size: 453

August 20–23, 2015 Donald Trump
30% 		Ben Carson

15%

Jeb Bush

9%

Carly Fiorina 6%, Marco Rubio 6%, Ted Cruz 5%, Lindsey Graham 4%, Scott Walker 4%, John Kasich 3%, Mike Huckabee 3%, Rand Paul 3%, Chris Christie 2%, Rick Santorum 1%, Rick Perry 0%, George Pataki 0%, Bobby Jindal 0%, Jim Gilmore 0%, Undecided 11%
Opinion Savvy/Insider Advantage

Margin of error: ± 4.3%

Sample size: 509

August 3, 2015 Donald Trump
31.3% 		Jeb Bush

13.9%

Ben Carson

9.9%

Mike Huckabee 8.5%, Lindsey Graham 6.5%, Scott Walker 5.8%, Ted Cruz 4.3%, Chris Christie 4.1%, John Kasich 3.1%, Marco Rubio 2.3%, Carly Fiorina 1.8%, Rand Paul 1.7%, Bobby Jindal 0.7%, Rick Perry 0.6%, Rick Santorum 0.1%, George Pataki 0%, Someone else 3.1%, Undecided 2.5%
Gravis Marketing

Margin of error: ± 4.0%

Sample size: 609

July 29–30, 2015 Donald Trump
34% 		Ben Carson

10.9%

Jeb Bush

10.5%

Scott Walker 10.3%, Marco Rubio 6%, Mike Huckabee 5.5%, Lindsey Graham 4.9%, Ted Cruz 3.4%, John Kasich 3.3%, Chris Christie 2.5%, Rick Perry 2.5%, Carly Fiorina 2.4%, Rick Santorum 1.3%, Rand Paul 1%, Bobby Jindal 0.9%, George Pataki 0.7%
Morning Consult

Margin of error: ± 5.0%

Sample size: 389

May 31 – June 8, 2015 Lindsey Graham
14% 		Ben Carson
12% 		Jeb Bush
11% 		Scott Walker 10%, Marco Rubio 8%, Mike Huckabee 7%, Ted Cruz 6%, Chris Christie 5%, Rand Paul 5%, Donald Trump 2%, Carly Fiorina 1%, Don't know/No Opinion/Refused 16%, Someone else 2%
Winthrop University Archived 2012-03-21 at the Wayback Machine

Margin of error: ± 3.2%

Sample size: 956

April 4–12, 2015 Scott Walker
13.6% 		Jeb Bush
12.7% 		Ted Cruz

8.1%

Lindsey Graham 7.6%, Rand Paul 6.2%, Chris Christie 5%, Ben Carson 4.9%, Mike Huckabee 4.9%, Marco Rubio 4%, Rick Perry 1.9%, Donald Trump 1.9%, Bobby Jindal 0.9%, Rick Santorum 0.3%, John Bolton 0.2%, Other 1.4%, Undecided 25.1%
Gravis Marketing

Margin of error: ± 3%

Sample size: 1,371

March 26–27, 2015 Scott Walker
17% 		Jeb Bush
16% 		Ted Cruz

13%

Lindsey Graham 9%, Mike Huckabee 7%, Chris Christie 6%, Marco Rubio 6%, Rand Paul 5%, Rick Santorum 2%, Carly Fiorina 2%, Undecided 18%
Gravis Marketing

Margin of error: ± 3%

Sample size: 792

February 24–25, 2015 Jeb Bush
19% 		Scott Walker
17% 		Lindsey Graham

12%

Mike Huckabee 10%, Chris Christie 8%, Rand Paul 6%, Marco Rubio 6%, Ted Cruz 2%, Carly Fiorina 2%, Rick Santorum 2%, Undecided 16%
Public Policy Polling

Margin of error: ± 4.3%

Sample size: 525

February 12–15, 2015 Jeb Bush
19% 		Scott Walker
18% 		Ben Carson

13%

Lindsey Graham 13%, Mike Huckabee 12%, Chris Christie 7%, Rand Paul 5%, Ted Cruz 3%, Rick Perry 3%, Other/Undecided 6%
NBC News/Marist

Margin of error: ± 4.6%

Sample size: 450

February 3–10, 2015 Lindsey Graham
17% 		Jeb Bush
15% 		Scott Walker

12%

Ben Carson 10%, Mike Huckabee 10%, Rand Paul 7%, Chris Christie 6%, Rick Perry 4%, Marco Rubio 4%, Rick Santorum 3%, Ted Cruz 1%, Undecided 11%
Gravis Marketing

Margin of error: ± 3%

Sample size: 831

January 21–22, 2015 Mitt Romney
20% 		Jeb Bush

16%

Scott Walker

9%

Ted Cruz 8%, Mike Huckabee 8%, Rand Paul 7%, Marco Rubio 7%, Chris Christie 5%, Rick Perry 4%, Rick Santorum 4%, Undecided 12%
Jeb Bush
18% 		Mike Huckabee

11%

Scott Walker

11%

Ted Cruz 9%, Marco Rubio 9%, Chris Christie 8%, Rand Paul 8%, Rick Perry 5%, Rick Santorum 4%, Undecided 17%
Clemson University Archived 2014-06-06 at the Wayback Machine

Margin of error: ± 6%

Sample size: 400

May 22–29, 2014 Jeb Bush
22% 		Chris Christie

10%

Ted Cruz

9%

Rand Paul 9%, Marco Rubio 6%, Bobby Jindal 3%, Undecided/Don't know 48%
Gravis Marketing

Margin of error: ± 4%

Sample size: 735

March 6–7, 2014 Jeb Bush
22% 		Mike Huckabee
19% 		Chris Christie

12%

Ted Cruz 8%, Rand Paul 8%, Marco Rubio 6%, Scott Walker 5%, Rick Santorum 2%, Undecided 19%
Gravis Marketing

Margin of error: ± 4%

Sample size: 601

November 30 – December 2, 2013 Chris Christie
16.6% 		Jeb Bush
16% 		Mike Huckabee
15.8% 		Ted Cruz 11.1%, Rand Paul 9.7%, Marco Rubio 7.2%, Rick Santorum 2.8%, Scott Walker 2.3%, Undecided 18.5%
Harper Polling

Margin of error: ± 5.03%

Sample size: 379

October 27–28, 2013 Chris Christie
19% 		Ted Cruz
17% 		Rand Paul

13%

Marco Rubio 12%, Paul Ryan 12%, Bobby Jindal 6%, Not sure 21%

Results

Primary date: February 20, 2016
District conventions: April 2016
State convention: May 7, 2016
National delegates: 50

South Carolina Republican primary, February 20, 2016
Candidate Votes Percentage Actual delegate count
Bound Unbound Total
Donald Trump 240,882 32.51% 50 0 50
Marco Rubio 166,565 22.48% 0 0 0
Ted Cruz 165,417 22.33% 0 0 0
Jeb Bush 58,056 7.84% 0 0 0
John Kasich 56,410 7.61% 0 0 0
Ben Carson 53,551 7.23% 0 0 0
Chris Christie (withdrawn) 0 0 0
Carly Fiorina (withdrawn) 0 0 0
Rand Paul (withdrawn) 0 0 0
Mike Huckabee (withdrawn) 0 0 0
Rick Santorum (withdrawn) 0 0 0
Jim Gilmore (withdrawn) 0 0 0
George Pataki (withdrawn) 0 0 0
Lindsey Graham (withdrawn) 0 0 0
Unprojected delegates: 0 0 0
Total: 740,881 100.00% 50 0 50
Source: The Green Papers

Exit Polls

2016 South Carolina Republican Primary by demographic subgroup (Edison exit polling)[84]
Demographic subgroup Cruz Trump Rubio Kasich Bush % of

total vote

Total vote 22.3 33.5 22.5 7.6 7.8 93%
Gender
Men 22 36 22 7 7 51%
Women 22 29 23 9 9 49%
Race
White 22 33 22 8 8 96%
Education and Race
White College Graduate 19 25 27 11 9 52%
White Non-college 24 42 17 4 6 45%
Age
17–44 years old 26 26 25 8 4 27%
45+ years old 21 35 22 7 9 73%
Income
$30,000 - $49,999 27 33 20 7 8 17%
$50,000 - $99,999 26 34 19 7 6 37%
$100,000 - $199,999 17 28 28 12 7 26%
Issue regarded as most important
Immigration 25 51 11 3 3 10%
Economy 15 36 24 13 7 29%
Terrorism 25 31 23 5 9 32%
Government spending 25 25 25 8 9 26%
Area type
Urban 18 23 31 12 10 23%
Suburban 26 36 18 5 7 48%
Rural 20 34 22 8 8 29%
Religion
Evangelical 26 34 21 5 7 67%
Non-Evangelical 17 38 22 16 9 33%
Veteran household
Yes 21 35 23 7 8 17%
No 24 31 21 9 8 83%

Analysis

Donald Trump won the South Carolina primary by ten points. He carried the crucial Evangelical vote with 33% to Cruz at 27% and Rubio at 22%.[85][86] Many pundits were perplexed by Trump's dominance among culturally conservative Southern whites who were expected to view him as immoral, but he benefitted from voters' racial, cultural, and economic angst that mattered more than shared values.[87]

Marco Rubio, who enjoyed the endorsement of Governor Nikki Haley,[88] came in second in the primary. Rubio won the two urban counties of Richland and Charleston, both of which have a higher percentage of college-educated voters.

References

  1. ^ Carrejo, Cate. "Is The South Carolina Primary Winner Take All? There's A Lot At Stake In The Palmetto State". Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  2. ^ "Jeb Bush drops out of White House race". POLITICO. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
  3. ^ "GOP forum will focus on issues, not 'drama'". Post and Courier. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  4. ^ "In Kemp Forum on Poverty, a Broader GOP Outreach to Voters". WSJ Blogs - Washington Wire. January 12, 2016. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  5. ^ Sprunt, Barbara. "On The Clock: Who's Talking The Most In Tonight's Debate?". NPR.org. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  6. ^ "Fox Business Network To Air Additional GOP Debate Days After SOTU". Talking Points Memo. December 8, 2015. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  7. ^ "FOX Business Network Announces Moderators for GOP Primary Debates on Jan. 14". Fox Business. January 5, 2015. Archived from the original on January 6, 2016. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  8. ^ "TV Listings & Channel Guide | AT&T U-verse". uverse.com. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
  9. ^ "FOX Business Network Announces Entry Criteria for GOP Primary Debates on Jan. 14". Fox Business. December 22, 2015. Archived from the original on December 23, 2015. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
  10. ^ Jackson, David (January 11, 2016). "Fox Business invites 7 Republicans to debate; Paul and Fiorina relegated". USA Today. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
  11. ^ Rafferty, Andrew (January 11, 2016). "Rand Paul Says He'll Boycott Debate After Missing Main Stage". NBC News. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
  12. ^ "CBS News announces details for 2016 debates". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  13. ^ "South Carolina Endorsements—Republicans".
  14. ^ "South Carolina Endorsements—Republicans".
  15. ^ Killough, Ashley (January 15, 2016). "Lindsey Graham endorses Jeb Bush". CNN. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
  16. ^ "South Carolina Endorsements—Republicans".
  17. ^ SELF, JAMIE (January 9, 2016). "SC elected officials name picks for president". The Sun News. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  18. ^ SELF, JAMIE (January 9, 2016). "SC elected officials name picks for president". The Sun News. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  19. ^ SELF, JAMIE (January 9, 2016). "SC elected officials name picks for president". The Sun News. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  20. ^ SELF, JAMIE (January 9, 2016). "SC elected officials name picks for president". The Sun News. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  21. ^ SELF, JAMIE (January 9, 2016). "SC elected officials name picks for president". The Sun News. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  22. ^ SELF, JAMIE (January 9, 2016). "SC elected officials name picks for president". The Sun News. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  23. ^ "South Carolina Endorsements—Republicans".
  24. ^ "South Carolina Endorsements—Republicans".
  25. ^ Neidig, Harper (February 19, 2016). "Cruz endorsed by Mark Sanford". The Hill. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
  26. ^ MCCASKILL, NOLAN (February 2, 2016). "South Carolina Rep. Jeff Duncan endorses Ted Cruz". Politico. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
  27. ^ SHAIN, ANDREW (May 5, 2016). "Ted Cruz names S.C. leadership team for 2016 race". The Statwe. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  28. ^ SELF, JAMIE (January 9, 2016). "SC elected officials name picks for president". The Sun News. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  29. ^ SELF, JAMIE (January 9, 2016). "SC elected officials name picks for president". The Sun News. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  30. ^ SELF, JAMIE (January 9, 2016). "SC elected officials name picks for president". The Sun News. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  31. ^ SHAIN, ANDREW (May 5, 2016). "Ted Cruz names S.C. leadership team for 2016 race". The Statwe. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  32. ^ SELF, JAMIE (January 9, 2016). "SC elected officials name picks for president". The Sun News. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  33. ^ "South Carolina Endorsements—Republicans".
  34. ^ SELF, JAMIE (January 9, 2016). "SC elected officials name picks for president". The Sun News. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  35. ^ SELF, JAMIE (January 9, 2016). "SC elected officials name picks for president". The Sun News. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  36. ^ SELF, JAMIE (January 9, 2016). "SC elected officials name picks for president". The Sun News. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  37. ^ "South Carolina Endorsements—Republicans".
  38. ^ SELF, JAMIE (January 9, 2016). "SC elected officials name picks for president". The Sun News. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  39. ^ SELF, JAMIE (January 9, 2016). "SC elected officials name picks for president". The Sun News. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  40. ^ SELF, JAMIE (January 9, 2016). "SC elected officials name picks for president". The Sun News. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  41. ^ "The State's Endorsement: Kasich is the best candidate to break through DC gridlock". The State. Columbia, S.C. February 17, 2016. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  42. ^ "Post and Courier editorial board endorses John Kasich". The Post and Courier. Charleston, S.C. February 18, 2016. Archived from the original on February 22, 2016. Retrieved February 18, 2016.
  43. ^ ISENSTADT, Alex (February 17, 2016). "South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley endorses Marco Rubio". Politico. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  44. ^ Jaffe, Alexandra (February 2, 2016). "Marco Rubio Snags South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott's Endorsement After Iowa Caucus". NBC. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
  45. ^ Jaffe, Alexandra (February 20, 2016). "Rubio Campaign Press Release - South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson Cast His Vote for Marco Rubio". The American Presidency Project. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  46. ^ CHENEY, KYLE (September 12, 2015). "Trey Gowdy to headline Rubio fundraiser". Politico. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  47. ^ "South Carolina Endorsements—Republicans".
  48. ^ SELF, JAMIE (January 9, 2016). "SC elected officials name picks for president". The Sun News. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  49. ^ SELF, JAMIE (January 9, 2016). "SC elected officials name picks for president". The Sun News. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  50. ^ SELF, JAMIE (January 9, 2016). "SC elected officials name picks for president". The Sun News. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  51. ^ Coyne, Amanda (February 12, 2016). "Knox White endorses Marco Rubio at pre-debate rally". Greenville News. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  52. ^ COLLINS, COLLINS (January 27, 2016). "Trump gets backing of S.C. lieutenant governor". Politico. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
  53. ^ SELF, JAMIE (January 9, 2016). "SC elected officials name picks for president". The Sun News. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  54. ^ SHAIN, Andrew (March 19, 2015). "2016 in SC: Donald Trump headlining Horry County GOP convention". Politico. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
  55. ^ SELF, JAMIE (January 9, 2016). "SC elected officials name picks for president". The Sun News. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  56. ^ SELF, JAMIE (January 9, 2016). "SC elected officials name picks for president". The Sun News. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  57. ^ SELF, JAMIE (January 9, 2016). "SC elected officials name picks for president". The Sun News. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  58. ^ SELF, JAMIE (January 9, 2016). "SC elected officials name picks for president". The Sun News. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  59. ^ SELF, JAMIE (January 9, 2016). "SC elected officials name picks for president". The Sun News. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  60. ^ "South Carolina Republican Presidential Primary Poll" (PDF). Opinion Savvy. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  61. ^ "South Carolina House Republican Caucus". South Carolina House GOP. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  62. ^ "Results from our South Carolina GOP Primary Poll!". National Research Inc. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  63. ^ "South Carolina Republican Presidential Primary". ARG. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
  64. ^ "EMERSON POLL: TRUMP EXTENDS HIS LEAD IN SOUTH CAROLINA; RUBIO PASSES CRUZ IN FIGHT FOR SECOND" (PDF). Emerson College Polling Society. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
  65. ^ "2016 Clemson University Palmetto Poll: The Republican Primary". Clemson University Palmetto Poll. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  66. ^ "South Carolina Republican Presidential Primary". ARG. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
  67. ^ "South Carolina Republican Primary Presidential Poll". Harper Polling. Archived from the original on February 21, 2016. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
  68. ^ "Donald Trump's Lead Slashed in South Carolina: Poll". NBC/Marist College. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
  69. ^ "Fox News Poll: South Carolina Republican primary". Fox News. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
  70. ^ "Trump poised to win South Carolina. Cruz and Rubio battle for second place. Evangelicals and Independents favor Trump" (PDF). Emerson College Polling Society. Retrieved February 18, 2016.
  71. ^ "South Carolina Republican Presidential Primary". ARG. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  72. ^ "SOUTH CAROLINA: TRUMP FAR AHEAD" (PDF). Monmouth University. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 25, 2016. Retrieved February 18, 2016.
  73. ^ "Bloomberg Politics South Carolina Poll". Selzer and Company. Retrieved February 18, 2016.[permanent dead link]
  74. ^ "FIRST ON BUZZ:After debate, Trump still tops SC GOP presidential race". PPP. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  75. ^ "South Carolina House Republican Caucus". South Carolina House GOP. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  76. ^ "CNN/ORC Poll". ORC International. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  77. ^ "South Carolina Republican Presidential Primary". ARG. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
  78. ^ "South Carolina House Republican Caucus". South Carolina House GOP. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
  79. ^ "CBS News 2016 Battleground TrackerSouth Carolina". YouGov. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
  80. ^ "South Carolina Republican Presidential Primary Poll" (PDF). Opinion Savvy. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  81. ^ "Trump Leads in IA, NH, and SC… Clinton and Sanders Competitive in IA, Sanders up in NH, Clinton Leads in SC". Marist Poll. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  82. ^ "CBS News Battleground 2016 Tracker South Carolina" (PDF). YouGov. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  83. ^ "Poll: Trump still leading in SC, Bush rising". Morris News/Opinion Savvy. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
  84. ^ "New Hampshire Exit Polls". The New York Times. February 9, 2016. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  85. ^ "2016 Election Center". CNN. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  86. ^ Lipka, Michael. "A closer look at religion in the Super Tuesday states". Pew Research Center. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  87. ^ Maxwell, Angie (December 30, 2020). "Why Trump Became a 'Confederate' President". The Forum. 18 (4): 493–529. doi:10.1515/for-2020-2107. ISSN 1540-8884.
  88. ^ POLITICO Staff. "Marco Rubio's major endorsements". POLITICO. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
Categories