SC lawmaker’s bill to stop Republican ‘Operation Chaos’ movement gets first OK
After GOP officials urged South Carolina Republicans to meddle in the upcoming Democratic primary, state lawmakers are considering a resolution that may deter them from voting for a candidate they believe President Donald Trump can easily beat.
The resolution, introduced by S.C. Sen. Marlon Kimpson, would lock anyone that votes in the Democratic presidential primary Saturday into voting in the Democratic contest again in 2024. Meaning that voters who participate in what Republican leaders and activists have dubbed “Operation Chaos” would not be able to vote in what will be a competitive GOP primary during the next presidential election, unless they sign a sworn statement saying they only participated in “good faith.”
That added provision would give voters in Saturday’s primary a way around being locked into the Democratic contest in 2024. It came after heated debate over whether lawmakers should do something about threats to disrupt the primary.
“What we have in South Carolina is an orchestrated attempt by the Republican Party to come into the Democratic Party and select who they view … as the weakest candidate in the Democratic Party primary,” Kimpson, told his fellow senators Wednesday.
“The Republican officials who are conspiring to hijack the Democratic party election have singled out Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders as the Democrat’s weakest link, and therefore, they are encouraging Republicans all across the state to vote for (Sanders).”
According to polls, Sanders is the biggest threat for a Biden SC win. The former vice president has been the front-runner throughout the race in the Palmetto State but has been losing support as his challengers, including Sanders gain support.
The resolution would not affect any races other than the presidential primaries in 2020 and 2024. For example, if a voter chooses to vote Democrat in the presidential primary Saturday, they would still be allowed to vote in the statewide Republican primary in June, if the resolution becomes law.
While the state party has asked Republican voters not to vote in the Democratic race Saturday, the Greenville Tea Party and the leader of the Aiken County Republican party have called on conservatives to cast a ballot. In New Hampshire ahead of the state’s primary, Trump urged Granite State Republicans to cast a ballot for who they believe was the “weakest” Democrat.
Kimpson, a declared supporter of former Vice President Joe Biden, told a panel of lawmakers from the Senate’s Judiciary committee Wednesday that he thought it was wrong for any member of one party to vote in the primary of another party if their intent was to meddle.
“I have never witnessed an active, overt campaign organized to vote for the weakest Democratic party presidential candidate, all with the purpose of reelecting a Republican president,” Kimpson said. “I think I’m duty bound to try to address this issue.”
In South Carolina, voters do not register by party and primaries are open to anyone as long as they only vote in one party’s primary at the polls. Critics of open primaries say they allow for crossover voting, leading to candidates that are more moderate than the party faithful would have liked.
Lynn Teague, the vice president of the South Carolina chapter of the League of Women Voters, said party officials who are calling for Republicans to meddle in Saturday’s primary have “a total lack of integrity.” But, Teague said, the League of Women voters does not support Kimpson’s resolution.
“We don’t think Sen. Kimpson’s bill would accomplish much,” Teague said.
Both Republicans and Democrats on the subcommittee expressed concerns about the resolution.
Sen. Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg, said the resolution could “disenfranchise” voters who change the party they favor over the next four years.
“There are people who legitimately over time evolve in their political thinking,” Hutto said. “This process would capture somebody for at least four years.”
Hutto also pointed to moderates or Republicans who do not support Trump that may consider voting for Biden this election, but would prefer to go back to voting Republican in 2024.
“They aren’t acting nefarious as Republicans,” Hutto said. “They’re acting as disaffected Republicans.”
State Sen. Sandy Senn, R-Republican, said Democrats have participated in Republican primaries in the past.
“It sounds to me, though, like now you’re saying that it’s not fair, and I’m saying, welcome to our world,” Senn said. “So, you think we need a bill that says, ‘This isn’t fair this election, but it’s OK next election.’”
Kimpson said the key factor this year is that the so-called “Operation Chaos” effort to help nominate Sanders, pushed by Republican activists, is much more public and is “an orchestrated attempt to hijack” the election.
Sen. Rex Rice, R-Pickens, proposed adding an amendment to the resolution that would allow voters to vote Republican in 2024 if they get an affidavit saying they voted Democrat in 2020 in “good faith,” and not as an attempt to disrupt the Democratic primary. The amendment was adopted unanimously by the majority-Republican panel.
Teague said voters who cast “deceptive” votes Saturday may lie to obtain an affidavit that would allow them to vote in Republican in 2024.
“I think Sen. Kimpson is very sincerely offended by what is happening,” Teague said. “It certainly is not a long range solution to any sort of long range problem. I don’t think there is a long range solution.”
The subcommittee voted unanimously to pass the resolution to the full Judiciary Committee with a favorable report.
