Returning this weekend as he mulls a second run for the White House, Buttigieg set out to reintroduce himself to the state and the Black voters he struggled to win in 2020.
There was a standing ovation in a black church in South Carolina when Buttigieg was credited for helping bring millions of federal dollars to the area for a project as President Joe Biden’s transportation secretary. A second ovation came as Buttigieg gave a speech at an NAACP Freedom Fund Dinner.
The warm applause was a markedly different reception than six years ago, when a fourth-place showing in South Carolina helped derail Buttigieg's presidential campaign while exposing his failure to connect with black voters.
The state is likely to have an even greater say in his political future as the first contest in the Democratic presidential primary in 2028.
Other potential 2028 contenders, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna of California and U.S. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey have made trips to the state as what is expected to be a large Democratic field begins to take shape.
