Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley grew up less than 50 miles away from Aiken.
She made three campaign stops in Aiken County in the last three weeks while her primary opponent, former president Donald Trump, made none.
And Haley received endorsements from two prominent local officials: S.C. Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield, and S.C. Rep. Bart Blackwell, R-Aiken.
All went for naught Saturday night.
Trump received 15,173 votes in Aiken County, 60.8% of the votes cast. Haley received 9,647 votes or 38.65% of the votes cast.
"Trump wins big in SC, and Nikki bombs in the state where she was once the darling of the Tea Party," S.C. Rep. Bill Taylor, a Trump endorser, posted on Facebook a day after the primary.
South Carolina is once again Trump Country, South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Drew McKissick said.
Statewide, Trump received 59.79% of the votes cast.
"It was true in 2016 and 2020, and South Carolina Republicans just put an exclamation point on it," McKissick said in a news release. "His Promises Made, Promises Kept agenda is what strengthened our country before, and can do it again."
Haley received 39.52% of the votes cast, meaning she received a higher percentage of the vote in New Hampshire — 43.2% — than she did in her home state.
Trump won 73 of Aiken County's 86 precincts.
Michael and Joanna Bright said they voted for Trump at Mercy Church on Saturday.
Michael said the country is drifting further apart and that he was also concerned about the economy.
Joanna said she was concerned about the border.
Michael added Trump had tenacity and backbone.
Trump's best performances came in two areas of the county: the Midland Valley area between Aiken and North Augusta and the rural far-eastern and northern parts of the county.
In the Midland Valley area, Trump received 89.43% of the 110 votes cast in Lynwood and nearly defeated Haley by a 79-point margin. Trump also defeated Haley by more than 60 points in Langley, Willow Springs, Bath, Graniteville, Hammond 81, Belvedere 74 and Ascauga Lake 63.
In the rural east and north, Trump received 89.89% of the 80 votes cast in Salley and nearly defeated Haley by an 80-point margin. Trump also defeated Haley by more than 60 points in Perry, Windsor 82 and Oak Grove.
Haley won 13 precincts.
Michael Haschker said he voted for Haley at Cedar Creek Church on Saturday.
He said he is a veteran and his wife is a German national, and so international politics were the top issue for him. He said he supported Haley because of her steadiness and thoughtfulness.
Haley's best performances came in the more Democratic northern and western parts of Aiken and the areas of Aiken that are frequent destinations for new arrivals to South Carolina or are the location of the "old money" within the city.
In Aiken No. 1 on the city's Westside, Haley received over 68% of the 435 votes cast and defeated Trump by a 36-point margin.
Haley also won Aiken No. 6, Aiken No. 5, Anderson Pond 69, Six Points 46, Hollow Creek, Aiken No. 47, Cedar Creek 64, North Augusta 29, Hitchcock 66, Levels 83, Sandstone 79 and Gem Lakes 77.
In total, 24,997 (22.85%) of Aiken County's 109,405 registered voters cast ballots in the primary and the two-week early voting period before it.
For comparison, 3,264 Aiken County voters cast ballots in the Feb. 3 Democratic primary, a turnout of 2.99%.
Trump receives 47 of the state's 50 delegates for winning the South Carolina primary. Haley receives the other three.
Overall, Trump has 110 delegates (26 from Nevada, 20 from Iowa, 13 from New Hampshire and four from the Virgin Islands). Haley has 20 delegates, including nine from New Hampshire and eight from Iowa.
Taylor and McKissick said Trump's delegate count lead and Haley's failure to win South Carolina mean she should drop out of the race.
"If we want to grow our economy, close our southern border and save our country from a radical leftist agenda, then we need to unite our party right now and put Donald Trump back in the White House this November," McKissick said.
When the experts say it's over, she should heed their words, Taylor said.
"They’ll say she compromised herself and everything she stood for to get the cash and the flash of the cameras," Taylor continued. "Yesterday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom called Nikki 'one of the Democrat’s best surrogates.' Dems needed someone willing, and they found that and much more in Nikki. They’ll cite that she even encouraged Dems to vote for her, verifying she’s an opportunistic politician."
However, Haley said Saturday night she has no intention of dropping out.
Haley planned to hold rallies in Michigan and Minnesota on Monday, a rally in Colorado on Tuesday and a rally in Utah on Wednesday.
The next primaries are Michigan (the state is holding a primary Feb. 27 and caucuses March 2), Idaho (March 2), Missouri (March 2), Washington, D.C (March 1-3) and North Dakota (March 4).
Super Tuesday is March 5, and primaries will be held in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Virginia.
If Trump receives all the delegates in these states plus American Samoa and Guam, he could clinch the nomination March 12 when Georgia, Hawaii, Mississippi and Washington vote.
