South Carolina was a pretty rough spot for Vermont Independent Senator Bernie Sanders in 2016, where he got trounced by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
But in a crowded field, the senator might have a bit of a leg up, at least if you believe a new poll out from the state:
Of the 600 voters surveyed who said they planned to cast a ballot in the 2020 S.C. Democratic primary, Biden led with 36 percent support.
Sanders, who ran in 2016 and announced Tuesday he was running again, followed with 14 percent. Harris, who made her second campaign appearance in South Carolina last weekend since announcing her candidacy, garnered 13 percent support.
As a life-long resident of the American South, I have to say one of the ways national reporters misread the room about the 2016 race was not understanding how popular the Clinton brand is in the region. Without a Clinton in the race, the region is much more wide open to various candidates. It likely will not be hegemonic in favor of one choice, like it was in 2016.