Lots of Dems voted. The Dem primary had 125k voters compared to 500k in 2020. Since SC is an open primary state, there were plenty of Dem voters available to vote in the Rep primary.
The turnout for the highly contested Rep primary in 2016 was 787k. The turnout in 2024 could exceed that. Right now with 74% of the vote in there are 590k in.
Good analysis—there are probably 100,000 Democratic or Democratic leaning Independent votes there.
Here is how I come up with that number.
In New Hampshire (similar scenario with crossover voting allowed) President Trump won 75% of the registered Republicans who voted.
That is close to the national polling on registered Republicans in upcoming states.
So in this primary, round numbers, 80% in, 600,000 votes cast implies 750,000 turnout tonight.
If those were all Republicans or Republican leaning independents President Trump would win 75% of them equals 560,000.
President Trump has won 360,000 votes so far, 80% of his estimated total of 450,000.
He is “short” 110,000 votes.
Those are Democrats or Democrat leaning Independents.
Even still, the entire state of SC is a sea of red, with the exception of three counties. And of course, those are the big city liberal areas.
Trump has received a large number of votes in the reliably blue cities. Even in Charleston, Trump has received 38% of the vote; in Richmond County (Columbia) 41%; and Beaufort, 44% of the vote. Democrats are in trouble and they know it. They will have to cheat in bigger numbers than they did in 2020.
Unless of course, they have a “Plan C”.