2024 South Carolina Republican presidential primary

The 2024 South Carolina Republican presidential primary was held on February 24, 2024, as part of the Republican Party primaries for the 2024 presidential election. 50 delegates to the 2024 Republican National Convention were allocated on a selection basis.

Held following the Iowa caucuses, the New Hampshire primary, the Nevada primary and caucuses, and the United States Virgin Islands caucuses, the South Carolina primary was the fifth Republican contest in which delegates were awarded to take place this election. South Carolina holds the "first in the South" presidential primary for both major parties.

Nikki Haley, who served as Governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017, announced her presidential candidacy in February 2023. Tim Scott, who has represented South Carolina in the U.S. Senate since 2013, entered the race with a campaign announcement in May 2023. He suspended his campaign on November 12, 2023 and endorsed Trump on January 19, 2024.

Immediately after polls closed at 7:00pm EST, multiple media outlets called the primary for Trump. Trump received the highest number of votes of any candidate for either party in the history of the South Carolina primaries, breaking the record previously held by George W. Bush in 2000.

Background
The Republican electorate in South Carolina is noted for having a high proportion of evangelical voters. Socially conservative candidates have performed well in the South Carolina primary in past contests. In the 2012 Republican primary, Newt Gingrich beat eventual nominee Mitt Romney in the state with support from evangelical voters.

In the 2016 South Carolina Republican primary, Donald Trump won with 32.51% of the vote, with the nearest opponent Marco Rubio taking 22.48%. Trump reportedly won 34% of the evangelical vote in the primary, with Ted Cruz taking 26%, and Rubio taking 21%.

Procedure
29 at-large delegates are awarded to the candidate with the highest statewide vote total. Each of the state's seven congressional districts are awarded three delegates. The candidate with the highest vote total in each congressional district are awarded that district's delegates.

Candidates
The following 10 candidates had filed by the end of the filing period on October 31, 2023 and secured ballot access.


 * Ryan Binkley
 * Nikki Haley
 * David Stuckenberg
 * Donald Trump
 * John Anthony Castro (disqualified due to the check for his registration fee bouncing)
 * Tim Scott (withdrawn on November 12, 2023)
 * Doug Burgum (withdrawn on December 4, 2023)
 * Chris Christie (withdrawn on January 10, 2024)
 * Vivek Ramaswamy (withdrawn on January 15, 2024)
 * Ron DeSantis (withdrawn on January 21, 2024)

Polling

 * Aggregate polls

Results by congressional district
Trump won 6 of the 7 congressional districts.