What S.C. Republican primary voters are saying
Here are comments from some South Carolinians who voted in Saturday’s Republican presidential primary.
“I really believe this guy is going to do something. He doesn’t care if he’s politically correct. All he’s worried about is making the country better. What’s wrong with that? . . . Does he say things that are a little over the top? Yes, but he does that to get his points across.”
— Will Brewer, 28, a health care worker from Taylors who voted for Donald Trump
“I voted for Governor Kasich. I feel he has a positive message, and I feel he has the experience in economics and government.”
– Manfred Lichtmann, 83, a retired Army colonel who lives in the Myrtle Beach area
“I voted for Donald Trump. I'm just ready for the wall to be built and for him to protect the Second Amendment and make the country great again.”
— Paul Lankford, 39, a bartender from the Myrtle Beach area who regularly votes in GOP primaries
“I used to vote for the other side up until 2012. I believed in the change of Obama, but this time around I like the realism of Donald Trump. ... I voted for Donald Trump because he is the anti-politician. He says what he means and, as a business owner, I like that he has the background in business. I think he'll actually get things done.”
— John Ontal, 43, a Hilton Head Island small business owner
“I voted for John Kasich because he ran a positive campaign, and I think he has the best experience of anybody in the race. I relocated here from Ohio, and what he was able to do there and his time in Washington show he's the one really ready to be president.”
— Mark Hatfield, 72, a retired Bluffton resident
The country is in “desperate shape” and needs “dramatic change” and only Trump can deliver it. “He’s an outsider and he will shake things up.”
— Frank Soccorsi, 59, of Fort Mill
“I know that (Ben Carson) stands for the same values that I do and I do believe that he respects our Constitution. That’s the man that he is. I don’t know that our country is smart enough to vote for him yet, but I did vote my conscience.”
— Wendy Crisley, 40, a small business owner from Fort Mill. Her husband chose Marco Rubio.
“The endorsement by Nikki Haley was a big deal. ... I was kind of riding the fence, and with everything that’s going on in South Carolina, I trust her – that’s kind of a big deal for me.”
— Jason Sims, 33, a teacher from Mount Pleasant who voted for Marco Rubio
“(Ben) Carson is my favorite in the race, but I don’t think he'll make it through the election. As much as I like the Bush family, I think that’s played. And I think Marco Rubio is too young. So it came down to (Ted) Cruz and Kasich and I think Kasich is someone who can unite the country and win the general election.”
— Steve Wilbourne, 46, owner of a financial software company, who said he didn’t consider Trump
“I think he’s very up on health care. Also, I think he has good family values and I like his approach to taking care of ISIS.”
— Carol Hipskind, 71, a retired health services worker from Rock Hill who voted for Kasich
The Island Packet of Hilton Head, The Sun News of Myrtle Beach, The Herald of Rock Hill and The Associated Press contributed.
This story was originally published February 20, 2016 at 4:59 PM with the headline "What S.C. Republican primary voters are saying."