Horry County voters reflect frustration of Trump supporters

Lucy Cesar-Jedacek walked into the Horry County Republican Party headquarters on Monday wearing a T-shirt summarizing her political views.

 

Cesar-Jedacek, 73, is one of many Horry County residents who support Trump. The Republican placed first in South Carolina’s crowded primary in February but took only 32.5 percent of the vote. Nowhere, however, did he perform better than in Horry, where he won 49 percent of the GOP vote.

Trump fares well in Horry County because it fits the demographics of voters drawn to his campaign nationally.

Most of Horry’s voters are white, and many are older. Compared to other South Carolinians, Horry County residents are less educated. Many of the residents of the self-proclaimed “Independent Republic of Horry” also are – like the candidate – outsiders, and feel isolated and ignored.

Trump also comes across as a strong leader, which wins over many Horry voters, said Robert Rabon, chairman of the county GOP.

“They believe that Trump can make the earth move.”

Older, white S.C. voters drawn to Trump

Trump won 26,684 – or 49.2 percent – of Horry County’s Republican votes in February. That was nearly as many votes as the five other GOP candidates won combined.

Horry County was and is a center of tea party politics in the Palmetto State, said Winthrop University political scientist Scott Huffmon.

“There is substantial overlap between the anger and frustration that drove the tea party and drives Trump support,” said Huffmon, director of the Winthrop Poll. “Combined with older, white, wealthier conservatives retiring to the area, you get fertile ground in which Trump support can grow.”

Nationally, Trump fares better among white voters, less educated voters and older voters, according to Pew Research data from July.

Those demographics reflect Horry County residents, most of whom – 77.2 percent – are white, according to the U.S. Census. Of the Horry voters that participated in the February GOP primary, 98.6 percent were white.

Pew also found “there is a clear divide in support” for Trump based on education nationally. Among white voters without a college degree, 57 percent support Trump versus 36 percent for Clinton. (White voters with a college degree support Clinton, 52-40.)

Just more than 1 in 5 Horry residents 25 or older – 22.9 percent – has a bachelor’s or higher degree.

In addition, more than 1 in 5 Horry residents – 21.4 percent – is 65 or older. In the February GOP primary, 47.7 percent of Horry voters were 65 and older.

Retirees are less likely to support tax increases, said Holley Tankersley, a Coastal Carolina University political scientist.

They often figure they paid the taxes needed to fund services, including schools, when their children were in school, Tankersley said. Now, they are not using those services and are less likely to support them, especially if they moved to the area from somewhere else.

“They have no cultural tie to the community,” Tankersley said.

‘The Independent Republic of Horry’

Horry also has a history of isolation, and many of its residents feel they have been treated unfairly and ignored politically.

“It was just too hard to get to,” said state Sen. Greg Hembree, R-Horry, adding much of the county was cut off from the rest of South Carolina by water for years.

“That’s why we call ourselves ‘The Independent Republic of Horry,’ ” Hembree said.

Many county residents also think they have not been treated fairly by S.C. politics. Horry brings in millions in tax dollars from tourists but little of that money seems to find its way back to the area.

Residents feel “we don’t get the freedom that we think we deserve from that,” Tankersley said.

There is also the perception that Horry has not received the same political representation as other parts of the state.

Before the 7th District U.S. House seat was added in 2011, Horry was lumped into congressional districts with other parts of the state that had more political power, Tankersley said.

Many Horry residents also are outsiders, and when they see an outsider politician like Trump, they relate to that person on an emotional level, Tankersley said.

Rep. Hembree agrees.

When he was elected solicitor in 1998, Hembree had lived in the county for only three years.

“I ran as an outsider,” Hembree said, adding his base of supporters was voters who were new to the area.

Since then, the number of outsiders, including retirees, only has grown, Hembree said, adding Trump “will do extremely well in Horry County in November.”

‘Trump, Trump, Trump’

 

Even then, Horry residents were backing Trump, Hughes said.

“Trump, Trump, Trump. I’m settled,” Hughes recalled voters telling him.

Now, Hughes – disappointed with Clinton’s national security record, including her email scandal and her response to the Benghazi attack – supports Trump, too.

 

“He is the ultimate anti-politician.”

This story was originally published October 1, 2016 at 11:18 AM with the headline "Horry County voters reflect frustration of Trump supporters."