Feb. 27, 2016 South Carolina Democratic Primary:
Results and Reactions

South Carolina State Election Commission
unofficial results 46 of 46 counties reporting

Hillary Clinton
270,810
73.47%
Martin O'Malley
713
0.19%
Bernie Sanders
95,737
25.97%
Willie Wilson
1,317
0.36%

368,577




Bernie 2016

Sanders Statement on South Carolina

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders issued the following statement on Saturday after polls closed in South Carolina:

“I congratulate Secretary Clinton on her victory in South Carolina.

“I am very proud of the campaign we ran. I am grateful for the grassroots supporters who took on the political establishment and stood up for working families. I appreciate the many friendships that Jane and I have forged with people across South Carolina, where I was all but unknown when this campaign began 10 months ago. I will always be especially thankful for the courageous support of state Reps. Terry Alexander, Justin Bamberg, Joe Neal, Wendell Gilliard, Cesar McKnight, Robert Williams and former Democratic Party Chairman Dick Harpootlian.

"Let me be clear on one thing tonight. This campaign is just beginning. We won a decisive victory in New Hampshire. She won a decisive victory in South Carolina. Now it’s on to Super Tuesday. In just three days, Democrats in 11 states will pick 10 times more pledged delegates on one day than were selected in the four early states so far in this campaign. Our grassroots political revolution is growing state by state, and we won't stop now.

“When we come together, and don't let people like Donald Trump try to divide us, we can create an economy that works for all of us and not just the top 1 percent."

Hillary for America


South Carolina Democratic Party
For Immediate Release
February 27, 2016
 
Contact:
Jason Perkey

SCDP Chair Jaime Harrison’s Statement on South Carolina’s First in the South Democratic Primary Results

Columbia, SC—Following the results of the South Carolina Democratic Presidential Preference Primary SCDP Chair Jaime Harrison issued the following statement:
 
“I would like to congratulate Secretary Hillary Clinton on her win tonight and commend her, Senator Bernie Sanders, and Dr. Willie Wilson for building grassroots organizations that will be the foundation for Democrats in South Carolina for many elections to come.
 
“Most importantly, I would like to thank the thousands of volunteers who knocked on doors, made phone calls, and organized events for their candidate.

“The “First in the South” tradition isn’t one that comes from a date on a calendar—it is made through the tireless efforts of Democrats across our state committed to building a New South.  We believe in a New South that celebrates diversity; values affordable healthcare; possesses fair and equitable wages; and insures the American Dream for all.

“I told South Carolina Democrats that I would pledge my endorsement to the candidate who won the South Carolina Democratic Primary.  South Carolina Democrats have voted and have spoken convincingly.  Palmetto State Democrats believe that Hillary Clinton is the best candidate to be the 45th President of the United States and best suited to build upon the legacy and achievements of Barack Obama.  Therefore, it’s my honor to follow South Carolina Democrats and join my mentor Congressman Jim Clyburn to support Hillary Clinton for President of the United States.”

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Democratic National Committee


DNC Chair Statement on South Carolina Primary Results

 

WASHINGTON — DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz released the following statement on the results of the South Carolina Democratic primary:

 

“I want to congratulate tonight’s winner, Hillary Clinton, on her victory in the South Carolina primary, and both of our campaigns for their spirited engagement with Palmetto State voters. Both of our candidates have campaigned with heart, and offered smart and substantive visions for moving our country forward. They’ve shown in South Carolina and to voters across the country that they have the right priorities -- priorities that match the values, hopes and dreams of the American people.

 

“That’s why we’ve consistently seen that our two candidates have turned out nearly as many voters and caucus goers as the far larger field of Republican hopefuls, even surpassing the five GOP candidates in Nevada. Meanwhile, Republican turnout has been driven by a theatrical screaming match, featuring childish and insulting behavior, with zero attention paid to the the real concerns of the American people.

 

“With Super Tuesday just a few days away, the contrast between our candidates and the field of Republicans couldn’t be clearer.

 

“The Republican establishment can try to run away from their front-runner, but they created him. The reigning Republican philosophy of a government so small it can’t or won’t respond in crises like Katrina or Flint, their obsession with an economic policy centered on tax cuts for the wealthy, and their obstruction in Washington has led them to the looming nomination of Donald Trump. Every passing week of this election cycle shows Americans that we must elect a Democrat as the 45th President of the United States.”


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Republican National Committee

RNC Statement On The South Carolina Democrat Primary

WASHINGTON – Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus released the following statement on the results of the South Carolina Democrat primary:
 
“The Democrat Primary continues to deteriorate into a race to the extreme left with voters forced to make an impossible choice between one candidate facing an FBI investigation and another that’s a self-proclaimed socialist.  This contest was not supposed to be close, yet we’ve seen both candidates pull off blowout victories and it’s clear the longer their race to the far-left drags on, the more unelectable each of these candidates becomes. 
 
“The momentum and enthusiasm is clearly with the Republican Party.  Each Republican contest has seen record turnout while the Democrats have lagged behind the GOP and fallen far short from the turnout eight years ago.
 
“Hillary Clinton was supposed to be focused on the general election, but here she is heading into Super Tuesday, still having failed to put Sanders away.  It’s clear Clinton cannot escape the fundamental flaws of her candidacy or the multiple investigations into her secretive and reckless conduct that will surely haunt her throughout this election.”
 
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Correct the Record (pro-Cilnton)
Saturday, February 27, 2016     
 
CONTACT: Correct The Record
Lizzy Price / Daniel Wessel

CTR STATEMENT ON HILLARY CLINTON'S WIN IN SOUTH CAROLINA

Washington, DC — Correct The Record President Brad Woodhouse released the following statement in response to today’s South Carolina results.
 
“Today’s results demonstrate that Secretary Clinton can compete anywhere and everywhere with every constituency,” said Brad Woodhouse, President of Correct the Record. “Across multiple regions and demographics, Americans have made it clear that they trust Hillary as their next President because they know she will fight for every one of them."
 
“In a hard-fought primary, voters have emphatically rejected Sanders’ calls to rip apart and undo all the progress we have made, his unrealistic and inauthentic plans, and his bad-mouthing of our past two Democratic Presidents, who remain wildly popular. While Hillary has laid out detailed proposals to move our country forward and has connected with voters everywhere, Bernie Sanders has found the limits of his fantasy-land revolution.”

Correct The Record is a strategic research and rapid response team designed to defend Hillary Clinton from baseless attacks.
Democracy for America (pro-Sanders)

DFA's SC RESPONSE: After "unsurprising" results, "Sanders momentum goes unchecked" into SuperTuesday

Reaction from Democracy for America’s Charles Chamberlain to tonight's results in South Carolina:
 
"South Carolina has long been an ideal state for Secretary Clinton and she deserves credit for the victory she secured this evening after pouring a great deal of time, energy, and resources into this primary. 
 
"In a state-by-state battle for delegates, not every contest is going to be an upset and tonight wasn't one. As unsurprising as tonight's results are, they also remind us how much the rest of the 2016 race has changed since Bernie Sanders entered last May, down 50 points nationally against a seemingly unstoppable front-runner that campaign insiders claimed would be coronated simply by running against Washington gridlock.
 
"Here's the bottom line: Over nine months, the grassroots movement behind Bernie Sanders has turned him from a polling asterisk to a candidate with momentum that gave him a tie in Iowa, a 22-point win New Hampshire, a near miss in Nevada with entrance polls showing him winning the Latino vote by 7, and three polls in the past week showing him tied or winning nationally for the very first time.  
 
"Given how anticipated tonight's results were, Sanders's momentum now goes unchecked into a series of contests into Super Tuesday and beyond, where he is poised to deliver some upsets, once again defy Washington's professional pundits, and continue to build the racially and
ideologically diverse coalition the Democrats need to win in November." -- Charles Chamberlain, Executive Director, Democracy for America
 
Additional facts about Democracy for America and our support for Bernie Sanders in the 2016 race:
  • In December, DFA endorsed Bernie Sanders for President after the Senator received 87.9% of the more than 271,000 votes cast in a DFA member endorsement vote.  This was the first presidential-primary
    endorsement in DFA's 11-year history.
  • Details about DFA's Bernie support
    • Since our endorsement, DFA has raised more than  $750,000 for Sanders from over 75,000 individual contributions from our grassroots members ($10.01 avg. contribution)
    • DFA spoke out strongly for DNC fairness after the party shut off Sanders's access to the voter file.
    • DFA worked to set the record straight when the Clinton campaign attacked Sanders on guns and single-payer healthcare.
    • DFA has worked closely with the Sanders campaign and our grassroots members to mobilize and train the tens of thousands of volunteers needed to help Bernie win in early contests.
  • DFA has over 1 million members across the country.
  • Since its 2004 founding, DFA members have knocked on hundreds of thousands of doors, made over 11 million phone calls, and raised and contributed more than $32.7 million to help elect 843 progressive candidates nationwide.