Haley visits Sumter ahead of Republican primary

Presidential candidate Nikki Haley is in her home state, South Carolina, to garner support ahead of the state's Republican primary this Saturday.

The former South Carolina governor and former UN ambassador spent Presidents Day morning in Sumter at American Legion Post 15 near Sumter County Civic Center.

Retired Brig. Gen. Don Boldoc, who was a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, introduced Haley, saying she could heal the divisiveness in the U.S.

"I want to take you back and remind you of all the things that we did together," she told Sumterites, referring to changes accomplished during her time as governor from 2011 to 2017.

"By the time I left, that 11% unemployment [rate in S.C.] went to 4%," she said. "By the time I was done, they were naming us the beast of the Southeast, which I still love."

She also talked about taxes being cut, paying down debt, immigration policy, pension reform and requirements for showing picture identification to vote being passed during her time as S.C. governor.

Lessening the country's debt, cutting taxes on the middle class and small businesses, increasing border patrol, bettering health care for veterans and preventing war through maintaining the United States' relationship with its allies are among some of the goals Haley told Sumterites she wants to accomplish as president.

"There will be a female president of the United States," she said. "The hard truth: It's either gonna be me or Kamala Harris. … You have a choice. Do we want more of the same, or do we want to go in a new direction? More of the same is not just Joe Biden. More of the same is Donald Trump. And if you look at where we are, do we really need to say the best we can do are two 80-year-old candidates?

"If you will join with me in this movement, if you will join with me in this fight, I will do for you what I did for you when I was your governor twice."

The South Carolina Democratic primary is done, with Biden as the state's Democratic nominee.

Early voting for the South Carolina Republican primary is underway as of Monday, Feb. 12, and will end on Thursday, Feb. 22.

You can vote early from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the following locations:

- Sumter County early voters can go to the Sumter County Courthouse at 141 N. Main St. in Sumter.

- Clarendon County early voters can go to 3 S. Church St. in Manning.

- Lee County early voters can go to 101 Gregg St. in Bishopville.

Information on absentee voting is available at https://scvotes.gov/voters/absentee-voting/.

You can also vote on the day of the state Republican primary on Feb. 24 if you did not vote in the Democratic primary.

Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and you can find your polling place address and view your sample ballot at scVOTES.gov.

On the Feb. 24 Republican primary ballot are Ryan L. Binkley, Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, David Stuckenberg and Donald J. Trump, but only Haley and Trump are still running for president. The Associated Press reported in January that all other Republican candidates have dropped out of the race.