10/5 NEWSBREAK: Haley in 2nd place among S.C. voters, new poll says

Former S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley is now in second place in the GOP race for president among S.C. voters, according to a new Winthrop Poll. While she is preferred by 17% of voters and has passed Fla. Gov. Ron DeSantis, she and the field are far behind the frontrunner, former President Donald Trump, who is preferred by 50.5% of GOP voters in the Palmetto State.

“We continue to see Trump’s dominance for the nomination in South Carolina,” said Winthrop Poll Director Scott Huffmon. “While a distant second, support for Nikki Haley has grown. Haley’s rise coincides with the continued slide of Ron DeSantis with his drop in national polls being mirrored in South Carolina.”

Huffmon pointed out that U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, another South Carolinian running for the GOP nod, remains in single digits with just under 6% of those polled picking him.

“Both Haley and Scott do a bit better when Republican-leaning independents are included in the analysis. For both Haley and Scott, an appeal to conservative Independents may offer a path to higher support.”

Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., is almost as unpopular as President Joe Biden in South Carolina, according to the poll. Some 50.1% of all South Carolina voters, including 29% of Republican respondents. His approval rating was 31%

“Graham’s approval ratings overall are nearly as bad as those for President Biden,” Huffmon said. “This stems from only getting approval from half of his Republican base. Questions about Graham’s GOP base support are likely to fuel speculation that he may face a serious primary challenge in his next election.”

Scott, however, remains more popular among S.C. voters as U.S. Senator with a 49% approval among all voters, including 72% of Republicans.

In other news:

CP NEWS: Walker named permanent Charleston police chief. Interim Chief of Charleston Police Chito Walker will be Charleston’s new police chief, Mayor John Tecklenburg announced today, marking the conclusion of the city’s formal search process led by its Police Executive Research Forum which began in June of this year.

CP FOOD: Fulfill Champagne wishes, caviar dreams at The Den. The Den, a luxe new bar tucked behind Frannie & The Fox, opened a few weeks ago with an intimate 30-seat lounge area, serving caviar, Champagne, fine cocktails and more.

Complaint allegedly blames Charleston Co. superintendent for hostile work environment. Information from a source close to the investigation of the Charleston County School District’s new superintendent provides new details on the complaints against him, alleging a hostile work environment.

Clear-cutting forest for Cainhoy development paused due to wildlife concerns. The federal agency charged with protecting the northern long-eared bat paused the clearcutting of 4,000 acres of its habitat in the Charleston area.

Charleston approves the removal of 21 grand trees. The City of Charleston Board of Zoning Appeals approved the removal of 21 grand trees to make room for affordable housing, a school district building and another fast-food restaurant.

Charleston mayoral candidates discuss affordable housing, homelessness. The six candidates running for Charleston mayor answered questions about how they would address the root causes of homelessness, ensure there was widespread availability of affordable housing and how they would fund those efforts.

Ronald McDonald House looks to serve more families. Charleston’s Ronald McDonald House consistently stays full of 32 families, turning away an average of 500 families a year. Because of this, the non-profit says it’s in great need of additional space to serve the many families who must travel to the Medical University of South Carolina for their child’s medical treatment.

Dorchester District 2 to implement metal detectors at all high schools. Dorchester School District Two Superintendent Dr. Shane Robbins announced the district would implement metal detectors at all three district high schools.

MUSC, Fetter Health introduce free diabetes program for women. The Medical University of South Carolina and Fetter Healthcare have joined forces to tackle diabetes head-on with a grant-funded community health program called Woman Against Diabetes through Empowerment.