RFK Jr. builds out his ground game in South Carolina

WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is charting a new route in his White House bid against President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination, targeting a state critical to Biden’s re-election hopes.

Kennedy, the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, is building out his footprint in South Carolina, the first state to hold a primary in the Democratic presidential contest.  

“I plan to spend a lot of time in this state,” said Kennedy at an event in Spartanburg, South Carolina, last week. “What I’m seeing in this state is that there is a lot of discontent and that people don’t want to be taken for granted.” 

Since 1992, South Carolina has picked the eventual Democratic nominee for president every year except for 2004, when then-Sen. John Edwards had a hometown advantage. The state propelled Biden in 2020 on the strength of African American support. And now, the Democratic National Committee has voted to elevate South Carolina as the nation’s first primary.

Kennedy’s campaign manager, Dennis Kucinich, told South Carolina’s biggest newspaper The State, “We’re going to break this election open in South Carolina. That’s my prediction.” 

The head of the South Carolina Democratic Party, Christale Spain, made it clear she is backing Biden.  

“No amount of distraction from RFK Jr. – a person who spews antisemitic rhetoric, is a dangerous anti-vaxxer, and can’t decide whether or not he supports a national abortion ban will change that,” Spain told NewsNation in a statement. “We’re battling enough of those candidates in the Republican primary.”  

“[President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’] record of delivering for South Carolinians – from creating thousands of good-paying jobs to passing historic legislation that is lowering health care costs and investing in our infrastructure – is why the Palmetto State will continue to be united behind the Biden-Harris administration,” Spain added.  

Under the new calendar for 2024, South Carolina Democrats will vote February 3.  

Biden holds a commanding lead over his Democratic rivals in the 2024 presidential primaries. A new poll from Emerson College finds that Biden has the backing of 61% of likely Democratic voters, with Kennedy at 12% and Marianne Williamson in third place with 4%. Undecided voters account for 23%. The poll’s margin of error is 3 percentage points.