As an early primary state, South Carolina is fertile ground for Democratic Presidential hopefuls.
Keep up with them all right here.

1.18.20

Former Massachusetts governor, Deval Patrick was the marquee speaker for the 2020 Women’s March. Amid an unrelating, freezing rain, he was the closing speaker for an event that drew a smaller-than-usual but stalwart audience. The event’s theme – and Patrick’s – was “women rising.” Hear Patrick’s remarks on SoundCloud.

Photos courtesy of Lee Turner and the Biden 2020 campaign

8.29.19

Former Vice President Joe Biden made his first trip to Greenville in late August. More than 800 interested Upstaters and one Trump supporter came to hear Biden. We have a video of the town hall on Facebook, but due to technical difficulties the image is sideways. The sound is good, however.

Photos courtesy of Lee Turner and the Biden 2020 campaign

7.27.19

Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio went “eyeball to eyeball” with Democrats at the GCDP monthly breakfast outlining three policies on climate, manufacturing, and criminal justice. After fielding questions from an engaged group, he joined District 19 candidate Carrie Counton for some canvassing.

Watch Rep. Tim Ryan at GCDP breakfast

7.20.19

Former HUD Secretary under President Obama and presidential candidate Julian Castro stopped in Greenville to talk with Democrats and answer questions.

Video shot by Isabella Rodriguez

Watch Julian Castro at Greenville event


5.29.19

Sen. Kamala Harris of California brought her For The People campaign to the Upstate with an MSNBC live-televised town hall at Wofford College in Spartanburg, a private gathering in Greenville, before a town hall at the West End Community Center attended by more than 600.

Photos courtesy of Ruth Todd Photography and Nadia Land-Greene

Listen to Kamala Harris Town Hall

4.19.19

Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont visited the Upstate to participate in a panel on poverty and gentrification sponsored by Working Hero. The panel included professor and social observer Dr. Cornell West, actor and activist Danny Glover, and local community activists Traci Fant, Jerry Blasingame and Rev. Stacey Mills of Mountain View Baptist. Read the news report on the panel.

Following the panel discussion, the senator held a rally at the Peace Center’s Gunther Theater.

Photos courtesy of Lucia Messina

Watch the panel discussion with Bernie Sanders

4.15.19

Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington packed two events into a short visit. With a Town Hall followed by a Meet and Greet in Travelers Rest.

Photos courtesy of Ruth Todd

4.14.19

Beto O’Rourke of Texas visited Clemson University as part of swing through South Carolina. Standing on a makeshift platform in the center of a gymnasium, O’Rourke addressed a crowd of close to 500 on subjects ranging from climate change to border security to the controversy over Ben Tillman. Read The Greenville News coverage.

Photos courtesy of Ruth Todd

Listen to Beto O'Rourke at Clemson

4.12.19

Rep. Eric Swalwell of California made another visit to the Upstate, holding a Town Hall at the West End Community Development Center downtown.

He addressed an audience of more than 100, sharing his story and political goals, and then answering audience questions. He hit his slogan hard: Go Big. Be Bold. Do Good.

He addressed his major issues of healthcare, climate change, debt free education, wage equality and middle-class economy and gun violence prevention.

“The economy is you. Are you doing better, saving more, dreaming bigger? 80 percent of us are living paycheck to paycheck, 40 million of us have $1.3 trillon in student loan debt. And nothing is going to change unless we get out of this crisis-to-crisis government. (Until) we have a leader who challenges our country to go big on the issues – health care, climate, education – being bold with the solutions.. finding the consensus and doing good in the way that we govern. Go Big. Be Bold. Do Good. That’s how we bring the promise of America to all Americans.”

Photos courtesy of Ruth Todd

Listen to Rep. Eric Swalwell

4.8.19

Mayor Wayne Messam of Miramar, FL, visited the Upstate for a meet and greet with a small group of Democrats and potential supporters. The event was held at The Growler Haus.

Photos courtesy of Ruth Todd

3.23.19

Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, IN, joined 250 Democrats for breakfast and then a morning of canvassing with Senate-6 candidate Tina Belge.

On party values: “You’re not free if you’re afraid to start a small business because losing your job would mean losing your health care. You’re not free if there is a veil of mistrust between you as a person of color and the officers sworn to keep you safe. You’re not free if your reproductive choices are being dictated by male politicians.

Don’t let anybody tell you that the other side has the handle on freedom. We are the party of freedom and we shouldn’t be afraid to go out and say it. ”

Photos courtesy of Ruth Todd

Listen to Mayor Pete Buttigieg

3.1.19

Sen. Cory Booker of NJ is the featured guest at the MLK Luncheon sponsored by state Sen. Karl Allen. A private luncheon for a few hundred special guests proceeded the main event. More than 500 filled the room to hear Sen. Booker talk about restoring values, recovering our faith, and becoming dreamers. “We must dare to dream. But we have to do the work too. Without work, a dream is just a fantasy.”

Photos courtesy of Nadia Land-Greene and Ruth Todd

Watch the Conversation with Cory Booker

2.23.19

Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota joined 300 Greenville County Democrats for breakfast at our regular monthly Saturday morning meeting. She emphasized her record of bipartisanship and focused on her accomplishments and policy goals. “We have to walk that sturdy bridge of our democracy to a higher ground in our politics,” she said.

Photos courtesy of Nadia Land-Greene and Ruth Todd

Amy Klobuchar: Stand your ground on core values, find common ground to solve problems

By Michael Roosevelt Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) began her appearance at the monthly GCDP breakfast on a rainy Saturday morning by observing that precipitation seems to be following her campaign […]

2.16.19

Sen. Elizabeth Warren of MA brought her 2020 bid for the Democratic Presidential nomination to 800 supporters, who packed the West End Community Center in Greenville. Warren shared her story and how it forged her positions on education in general and teachers specifically, on the importance of a vibrant middle class, voting rights, diversity, immigration, healthcare and drug prices. Washington, she said, “works great for giant drug companies, but not for people who are trying to fill a prescription. It works great for giant oil companies that want to drill everywhere, but not for people who see climate change heading our way.”

Photos courtesy of Nadia Land-Greene and Ruth Todd

Watch Elizabeth Warren

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