Sherrod Brown hunts for support in the South
SUMMERVILLE, S.C — The first stop on the way to the White House is always an oyster roast.
Charleston-area Democrats had not one, but two candidates drop by their seafood-shucking shindig to introduce themselves and their nascent stump speeches, beneath a veranda whipped by the ocean breeze.
One was Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, who hasn’t formally announced a run; the other was New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, one of about a dozen entrants in a growing field.
Mr. Brown addressed the crowd first, followed by South Carolina Democrats James Clyburn, the House majority whip, and Rep. Joe Cunningham. Afterward they embraced for a selfie. An hour later they found themselves on the same plane bound for Charlotte, N.C.
Charleston Democrats are a selective bunch. They’re used to being courted by Democrats seeking the state’s primary nod to propel them to the general election. In 2008, President Barack Obama won the primary in South Carolina after losing in New Hampshire and Nevada, helping to cement his path to the nomination.
Any Democrat who wants a shot at competing has to have a strong relationship with South Carolina activists, who represent a more diverse bloc than other early voting states.
“My favorite, he’s not in the race yet, but I expect he will be,” said 32-year-old lawyer Roy Willey, referring to former vice president and longtime Delaware Sen .Joe Biden, who many see occupying a similar lane in the primary as Mr. Brown.
Mr. Willey, who was shucking oysters dumped by the bucketful onto a long metal table, voted for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 primary.
Winning the nomination is done “one handshake at a time, one oyster at a time,” said South Carolina political consultant Krystel Reid Heath, who wants the nominee to be bipartisan, experienced, personable, and have political views slightly left of center.
Her favorite? Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar.
“Whoever the Democratic candidate is will be better than who we currently have,” she said, referring to President Donald Trump.
South Carolina was the last stop on Mr. Brown’s tour of early nominating states. It’s the first state in the South to hold a presidential nominating contest and the fourth state nationwide. The winner earns momentum heading into Super Tuesday, which in 2020 will include delegate heavy California.
Mr. Brown tested out his pro-worker “dignity of work” message in the state capital, Columbia, and in smaller cities in rural counties. He was invited to speak at a Women’s History Month luncheon hosted by Democratic women in Darlington County, which voted for Mr. Trump by a smaller margin than the state as a whole.
“You can’t be a human being who’s awake and not understand that black women are the heart of the Democratic Party,” Mr. Brown said.
Contact Liz Skalka at lskalka@theblade.com, 419724-6199, or on Twitter @lizskalka. The Block News Alliance consists of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and The Blade of Toledo, Ohio. Liz Skalka is a reporter for The Blade.