IN SPORTS: Lady Gamecocks look to take down Irmo in 4A state playoffs B1 ELECTION DAY
Do you know where to vote? A3 SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2016
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Republicans go to polls S.C. voters have their say after intense primary campaigning BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com South Carolina’s time in the national spotlight begins to come to an end today as voters cast their ballots in the state’s Republican Presidential Preference Primary. Political observers across the country are watching closely to see if the Palmetto State will add to the momentum of Donald Trump, or if Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio can gain enough support to derail the real estate mogul’s bid for the Republican nomination to be president. South Carolina may well decide whether Dr. Ben Carson or former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush can stay viable candidates, or if Ohio Gov. John Kasich can build on his second-place finish in New Hampshire. “This election shows the importance of South Carolina in the primary election,” said state Rep. Murrell Smith, R-Sumter. “We are still the first-in-the-South primary.” He said he thinks some candidates will fall out after today’s vote. “It shows what an important place South Carolina holds in the selection of a nominee,” Smith said. Sumter County Republican Party acting chairman Jason Reddick said everything has gone well heading into the vote. “I am really pleased by the turnout of candidates in South Carolina and the turnout of voters to hear the candidates and learn their positions,” he said. “Those are encouraging signs.” Reddick called turnout in recent primaries “disappointing” and said he hoped this year’s primary had energized the voters. “It’s kind of in the voters’ hands, now,” he said. Polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. today for the Republican vote. Voters casting ballots in the Democratic Presidential Preference Primary will vote Saturday, Feb. 27. South Carolina law requires voters to show a photo ID when casting their votes in person. Acceptable IDs include a South Carolina Driver’s License or Department of Motor Vehicles ID Card, an S.C. Voter Registration Card with photo, a federal military ID or a U.S. Passport, according to scvotes.org.
SEE VOTE, PAGE A6
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Florida Sen. Marco Rubio won the endorsement of Gov. Nikki Haley, campaigning together at the Beacon Drive-In Restaurant in Spartanburg on Thursday.
KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM
GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump, above, spoke Wednesday at Sumter County Civic Center before a packed house. The firebrand celebrity real estate mogul has drawn criticism recently for some of his comments about the Republican Party and former President George W. Bush’s handling of the Iraq War, but still leads the pack in the polls.
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Ohio Gov. John Kasich laughs during a break at a CNN town hall at University of South Carolina in Columbia on Thursday.
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Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks at Bob Jones University in Greenville.
KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush presses a point during a campaign stop at University of South Carolina Sumter on Feb. 11 as he hoped to have a strong show of support in South Carolina, home to a large, supportive military community..
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GOP candidate Ben Carson is seen at a recent CNN town hall event in Greenville.
ANALYSIS
Pope shines spotlight on GOP minority challenges Volunteers make calls for Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on Tuesday in Greenville. For months, Cruz’s campaign has touted an expensive and sophisticated get-outthe-vote operation as its antidote to Donald Trump’s broad populist appeal. It worked in Iowa. But today’s South Carolina primary will be a tougher test for him. And it could shape the race between the anti-establishment rivals as the GOP contest heads toward delegate-rich March voting states.
BY STEVE PEOPLES The Associated Press SPARTANBURG — The Republican Party’s tug of war over its relationship with black and Hispanic voters was under way long before Pope Francis decided to answer a question about Donald Trump. On one side, Marco Rubio and others insist the GOP must attract more minorities to win the presidency. On the other, leading rivals Trump and Ted Cruz embrace fiery
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rhetoric designed to motivate angry white conservatives. Complicating it all is immigration, the issue the party’s pragmatic professionals can’t square with the passions of their most faithful voters. Pope Francis on Thursday shined an international spotlight on the intra-party debate when, asked about Trump’s call to build a massive wall on the U.S.-Mexican border, he said those who seek to build walls instead of bridges are
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INSIDE
PERFECT DAY TO VOTE
2 SECTIONS, 14 PAGES VOL. 121, NO. 107
Periods of clouds and sun today with spring-like temps; tonight, mostly cloudy and warm. HIGH 69, LOW 50
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