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![]() Election results by county.
John McCain
Mike Huckabee |
Elections in South Carolina |
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The 2008 South Carolina Republican presidential primary was held on January 19, with 24 delegates at stake.[1] The Republican National Committee took half of South Carolina's 47 delegates away from them because the state committee moved its Republican primary before February 5.[1][2] It was held on the same day as the Nevada Republican caucuses, 2008.
The primary has become one of several key early state nominating contests in the process of choosing the nominee of the Republican party for the November 2008 election for President of the United States. It has historically been more important for the Republican Party than for the Democratic Party; from its inception in 1980 through the election of 2000, the winner of the Republican presidential primary has gone on to win the nomination.[3] As of 2008, the primary has cemented its place as the "First in the South" primary for both parties.[4]
This state's 24 delegates would be awarded on a "Winner-Takes-All" basis. 12 Delegates for the Statewide winner and 12 delegates awarded on a District-winner basis awarding 2 delegates for each of the states then 6 Congressional districts.[5]