Homeless Republicans: Haley Voters and the 2024 Presidential Primary in Coastal South Carolina

abstract: While former president Donald Trump cruised to victory in the 2024 Republican presidential primaries, he faced considerable opposition in the early states of Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. In these initial contests, former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley attempted to rally traditional conservatives in defiance of Trumpism and won almost 40 percent of the vote across the three states. Though her campaign ultimately failed, she exposed rifts within the Trumpified GOP. The South Carolina primary results exemplified clear social and geographic divides, with affluent precincts the most likely to oppose Trump's third run. Numerous Republican neighborhoods chose Haley over Trump, indicating that her appeal extended beyond crossover voters. This article uses coastal South Carolina as a case study to map electoral patterns and correlate relevant demographic characteristics. Connections with education, income, and population change underscore the geographic dimensions to Republican ideological divisions, suggesting that bastions of college-educated conservatives remain unconvinced by Trumpism, despite his success in broadening the party's base with new supporters. South Carolina's Haley voters are emblematic of MAGA-wary Republicans nationwide, who have contributed to competitive races in recent years and will continue to influence campaign strategies moving forward.