As the raucous 2016 election cycle draws to a close, major players in both the Democratic and Republican parties are looking ahead for their next moves, including in South Carolina.
A series of campaign scandals among the upper echelons of the Democratic National Committee left the DNC without a permanent figurehead for much of the election. With battlelines being drawn in the race for a new chairperson the leader of South Carolina's own branch of the party, statewide chairman Jaime Harrison, is thought to be on the verge of throwing his hat in the ring. Harrison addressed the rumors on his Twitter.
"I'm blown away by the tons of calls, emails and texts urging me to run for DNC Chair ... praying about it," he said. "I'll decide soon!"
Harrison went on to bring up what he calls "bullying" within the Democratic Party and said that he would not let that affect him.
If he runs, Harrison will face Minnesota progressive Rep. Keith Ellison, a far-left darling who already has the powerful backing of both Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid.
Possible power shifts are possible across the aisle, according to a report from The Post and Courier. The report indicates that Sen. Tim Scott and Rep. Trey Gowdy might team up to run for governor and lieutenant governor in 2018. Both skirted around confirming the report, but both men are said to have long-harbored ambitions for the Statehouse.
South Carolina Republican Party chairman Matt Moore told The Post and Courier such a pairing would prove to be popular.
"It would be like Michael Jordan and Lebron James being on the same team," he said.