ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – With the Republican and Democratic presidential primaries approaching in early 2024, Winthrop University has launched a Presidential Elections Initiative to engage its students and the community in the election process.
Presidential campaigns travel through South Carolina as the Palmetto State continues to achieve even greater significance in the presidential election process of both the Democratic and Republican Party Presidential Primaries. South Carolina holds the First in the South primary for both parties, and the state may even be holding the first in the nation for the Democratic party moving forward.
Moreover, there are two prominent South Carolina Republicans in the 2024 Presidential Race, former S.C. Governor Nikki Haley and U.S. Senator Tim Scott.
President Edward Serna ’02 said the Presidential Elections Initiative will likely include a lecture series with key political figures, a release of in-state polling data through the Winthrop Poll and, of course, candidate visits.
“Winthrop was visited by future presidents from both parties as well as many other notable candidates over the past four elections. We want our students, faculty, staff and the community to have the opportunity to see candidates in person and to decide for themselves who is best to lead our nation,” Serna said. “Teaching students about civic engagement and the importance of voting is one of the key components of becoming a good citizen.”
Next week Serna will send invitations to presidential candidates inviting them to campus and noting Winthrop’s experience hosting numerous past candidates for office.
Campaign Visits are Underway
Campaigns and political organizations already are exploring venues on campus even without an official invitation. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will be on campus Sept. 10 for a meet and greet/community town hall, while the South Carolina and North Carolina Federations of Women Republicans will be hosting a 2024 presidential candidate forum later this fall.
The Presidential Elections Initiative is in partnership with the John C. West Forum on Politics and Policy, which is housed at Winthrop. The forum has led several voting initiatives and has helped Winthrop earn national recognition as a “Voter Friendly Campus” based on its consistently high student voting rate. Additionally, the forum sponsors speakers to discuss policy and politics.
For more information, contact Judy Longshaw, news and media services manager, at longshawj@winthrop.edu.
Winthrop University is a public institution dedicated to serving the state of South Carolina and to promoting the free exchange of ideas and informed citizenship. Thus, Winthrop University welcomes political candidates, elected officials, and guest speakers from all partisan and ideological perspectives to visit campus and to present their ideas to the Winthrop and Rock Hill communities. These appearances do not constitute an endorsement of any party, candidate, or ideological perspective.
