COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – Almost the entire sprawling Democratic presidential field of more than 20 candidates took the same stage in the South’s first primary state, looking to make connections in a primary battleground that has helped propel the party’s last two nominees.
Former Vice President Joe Biden reintroduced himself to South Carolina voters at gatherings he’s attended many times before. His rivals tried to convince a boisterous throng at a Friday event to consider a new path.
“I think I’ve been in every one of your counties over the years,” Biden said at House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn’s annual fish fry, a longstanding event that this year has blossomed into a centerpiece ahead of the 2020 election.
The 76-year-old Biden touted his friendship with Clyburn and other South Carolina politicians, including former Sen. Fritz Hollings, whom the Democratic front-runner eulogized earlier this year.
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, meanwhile, made her usual detailed policy pitch. Sen. Kamala Harris of California, one of two major black candidates, called attention to civil rights heroes in a state where black voters typically make up a majority of Democratic primary electorates. And lesser known candidates tried to capitalize on the spotlight, with the likes of entrepreneur Andrew Yang getting a boisterous welcome despite barely registering in national polls.