South Carolina has a long military history and is home to a number of military installations, including the 6,900-acre Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, basic training hub Fort Jackson in Columbia, and a Department of Defense joint base, Joint Base Charleston. It’s also home to The Citadel, one of the nation’s most renowned military schools. The state’s share of residents who are veterans is 25 percent higher than the U.S. share overall.

The military in South Carolina plays a role both culturally and economically. A recent study estimated the annual economic impact of the military community on the state at $19.3 billion, with its eight major military installations responsible for over 100,000 jobs.

Accordingly, military issues – including the treatment of U.S. veterans, military spending and the handling of the Islamic State group – are all potential factors in the state.

About 35 percent of likely Republican primary voters in South Carolina said national security and terrorism were the most important issues to them in the 2016 election, according to a January NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll. Job creation and economic growth, the deficit and government spending and religious and moral values were all tied for second place at 15 percent. Nearly 70 percent of those voters said they support sending U.S. combat troops to Iraq and Syria in order to fight the Islamic State group.

Terrorism also was a top consideration for GOP voters in the YouGov poll.