Upstate conservative campaign encourages Republicans to vote for Bernie Sanders in SC presidential primary "We want everyone to be as engaged as possible in the process," says Greenville Democratic Party chair on open primary Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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WYFF NEWS 4. MICHAEL: SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS MAY BE SEEING A LOT OF SUPPORT AT THE POLLS IN SOUTH CAROLINA LATER THIS MONTH FROM REPUBLICANS, BUT THERE’S A OUR RENEE WUNDERLICH JOINS US NOW. YOU SPOKE WITH UPSTATE REPUBLICANS, DEMOCRATS AND THE SANDERS CAMPAIGN ON THIS. RENEE: I DID. I SPOKE WITH THE ORGANIZER BEHIND THE EFFORT. SHE TELLS ME THERE ARE TWO GOALS. USE A VOTE FOR SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP. AND BY DOING THAT, SHE SAYS, VOTERS WOULD SEND A MESSAGE THAT PRIMARIES SHOULD BE CLOSED. ARE SOUTH CAROLINA REPUBLICANS FEELING THE BERN? STACEY SHEA, ORGANIZER WITH CONSERVATIVE GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGN TRUMP 229, IS HOPING TO HELP CLOSE SOUTH CAROLINA’S OPEN PRIMARY SYSTEM. TO DO THIS, SHE’S ENCOURAGING REPUBLICAN PARTY SUPPORTERS TO CAST THEIR BALLOTS FOR DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE BERNIE SANDERS. >> THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SUPPORT PRESIDENT TRUMP WE CAN’T VOTE FOR HIM IN A PRIMARY THIS YEAR, SO WE CAN HELP HIM BY PARTICIPATING IN THE DEMOCRAT PRIMARY AND VOTING FOR THE CANDIDATE WE FEEL IS LEAST ELECTABLE AND IS ALSO CREATING A LOT OF DISSENSION BETWEEN THE DEMOCRAT PARTY AND THE DEMOCRAT VOTERS. RENEE: SOUTH CAROLINA REPUBLICANS WILL NOT HAVE A PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY THIS YEAR. THE PALMETTO STATE HOSTS OPEN PRIMARIES, MEANING VOTERS OF ANY POLITICAL PERSUASION CAN CAST BALLOT ON FEBRUARY 29, WHICH WILL BE THE FIRST IN THE SOUTH DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY. KATE FRANCH, CHAIR OF THE GREENVILLE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY, SAYS EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO BE A PART OF THE POLITICAL PROCESS SHOULD HEAD TO THE POLLS. >> WE ARE IN SUPPORT OF HAVING OPEN PRIMARIES AT THIS POINT THERE’S NO REASON NOT TO. BECAUSE WE WANT, AGAIN, EVERYONE TO BE AS ENGAGED AS POSSIBLE IN THE PROCESS. RENEE: I ALSO REACHED OUT TO THE SANDERS CAMPAIGN FOR THEIR THOUGHTS ON REPUBLICAN VOTERS POSSIBLY SUPPORTING SANDERS ON FEBRUARY 29. THE CAMPAIGN SENT US THI STATEMENT WHICH READS, IN PART, "RECENT REPORTS HAVE MADE IT CLEAR THAT DONALD TRUMP AND THE REPUBLICAN ESTABLISHMENT HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AFRAID TO RUN AGAINST BERNIE SANDERS GOING BACK TO 2016 AND THIS IS MORE OF THE SAME." THE CAMPAIGN WRITES THAT, "?THE TRUTH IS THAT SENATOR SANDERS CONSISTENTLY BEATS TRUMP IN GENERAL ELECTION MATCHUP POLLS IN BATTLEGROUND STATES." WE ARE TOLD AT THIS TIME THAT THE UPSTATE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS EXPECTED TO FORMALLY ANNOUNCE THEIR PLANS AT A NEWS CONFERENCE TOMORROW. THIS DETAIL COULD CHANGE.

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