COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - Democrats in early-voting South Carolina are gearing up for a summer convention that’s sure to draw many of the party’s presidential contenders.
Party officials announced this week that they will hold their annual convention June 22 in Columbia. No headliners have been announced yet, but past speakers have included current national Democratic Party Chairman Tom Perez and Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, who announced this week he had opted not to seek the party’s presidential nomination next year.
The night before the convention opens, party faithful will gather at a fundraising dinner. Afterward, they’ll head to House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn’s World Famous Fish Fry, which has become a must-stop opportunity for Democratic candidates to hobnob in this critical early-voting state, amid live music and tables laden with fried fish. In 2016, the event - traditionally held in Columbia - was moved to Charleston, where it was held in conjunction with a Democratic presidential debate.
Candidates have already been swarming South Carolina for months, vying for support in the home of the first Southern primary.
While no commitments have been announced for the convention, former state party chairwoman Carol Fowler said on Twitter that “Any candidate who doesn’t bother to attend our convention might as well drop out - he or she will never be president.”
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Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP
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