Republican Party

South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott has launched his presidential campaign. At an event in his hometown of North Charleston on Monday, Scott offered an optimistic message he hopes can contrast the two figures who have used political combativeness to dominate the early GOP primary field: former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Scott is the Senate's only Black Republican. His team acknowledges the challenge but notes that the political environment can change, that Scott won reelection by a commanding 20 points in November and that he has more money to start his campaign than any presidential candidate in history.

Republicans who are seeking to lead their party in the 2024 presidential race are gathering in South Carolina this weekend. And they're promoting a goal that's at the forefront of their agenda — namely, taking on "woke ideology." The Vision '24 event in North Charleston is being held by the group Palmetto Family, which lobbies for what it considers to be "biblical values." Organizers are describing the gathering as "casting the conservative vision" for the next White House race.

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley is proposing changes to entitlement programs for younger generations, opening the door to potential cuts to Social Security and Medicare if elected. At a campaign rally Monday in South Carolina, Haley promised not to touch the benefits of older people who retired with certain guarantees of a financial future. But she said her children, both in their 20s, are part of the generation for whom benefits should be altered.

South Carolina is accustomed to increased attention in the years leading up to presidential elections, given that the state has hosted the South's first voting contests for several of the last cycles. Yet the 2024 campaign season is starting to feel different. For one, Democrats have elevated South Carolina to the top of their presidential primary calendar, leapfrogging Iowa and New Hampshire. On the Republican side, there could potentially be two homegrown South Carolina presidential candidates in the race.

As Sen. Tim Scott weighs a potential 2024 presidential candidacy, the South Carolina Republican was in Iowa on Wednesday delivering a message of "a new American sunrise." It's a positive vision that sets him apart from some possible rivals who have focused more on railing against cultural divides. "I see 330 million Americans getting back to celebrating our shared blessings again, tolerating our differences again, and having each other's backs again," Scott plans to say at Drake University in Des Moines, according to advance excerpts provided to The Associated Press.

South Carolina Republicans tallied key victories on a night when the GOP nationwide struggled to generate the wins historically associated with a midterm election under an opposing party's president. They won the governor's race by the largest margin in over 30 years and reached a supermajority in the legislature. South Carolina GOP officials attribute their success in part to a historically large ground campaign, strong candidates at the top and record straight-ticket voting. After sustaining such great losses, some state Democrats are questioning the enthusiasm among the party's base.

The White House and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists say a Republican-led proposal to ban abortion nationwide after 15 weeks would endanger the health of women and have severe consequences for physicians. The measure introduced last week by Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina proposes a nationwide ban that would allow rare exceptions. The legislation has almost no chance of becoming law in the Democratic-controlled Congress. GOP leaders didn't immediately embrace it and Democrats are pointing to the proposal as an alarming signal of where Republicans would try to go if they were to win control of the Congress in November.

Republican candidates have given wildly differing responses to South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham's plan to ban abortion nationwide at 15 weeks. A Republican Senate challenger in Colorado describes the proposed ban as "reckless." GOP Senate contenders in Georgia and Arizona have quickly pledged their support. And in Pennsylvania and Nevada, Republican Senate nominees are avoiding taking firm positions. The explosive issue threatens to upend the GOP's overwhelming political advantages just eight weeks before Election Day. Democrats have been quick to point to the measure to warn that handing control of Congress to Republicans could lead to a broader erosion of rights.

Upending the midterm elections, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham has introduced a nationwide abortion ban. The bill would prohibit abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, except in cases of rape, incest or danger to the physical health of the mother. The legislation introduced Tuesday is sending shockwaves through both parties with just weeks before voters go to the polls. Graham's own Republican colleagues did not immediately embrace his abortion ban bill, which has almost no chance of becoming law in the Democratic-held Congress.