A pair of likely Democratic presidential candidates will share a stage next month in South Carolina, an attention-grabbing audition before party insiders in a closely-watched early primary state.
Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley and former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb will speak at the South Carolina Democratic Convention on May 3 in Columbia, multiple Democratic sources told CNN. The convention brings together hundreds of elected officials, grassroots activists and delegates — the kind of power brokers whose opinions on the race matter greatly in the early stages of a campaign — to the state capital every spring.
The two Democrats are joining a previously-announced speaker, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a close ally of Hillary Clinton, who is expected to formalize her presidential campaign later this month.
Neither O’Malley nor Webb has officially declared a candidacy, but both have already visited the state, as well as Iowa and New Hampshire, to begin introducing themselves to state legislators and activists.
O’Malley has been notably aggressive in South Carolina for two years, speaking at various Democratic Party events, steering resources to midterm candidates and keeping in touch with power-brokers in the state.
Vice President Joe Biden, who is keeping his name in the presidential conversation despite doing next-to-nothing to build a campaign, addressed the convention in 2013.
South Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Jaime Harrison said details about the convention “have yet to be confirmed.”
“We would be excited to have them and all other possible Democratic candidates visit us in South Carolina,” he told CNN.
The Friday evening before the convention, South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn is hosting his annual Fish Fry, a casual beer-soaked buffet of fried whiting that’s likely to draw both Democratic candidates eager to mingle with local Democrats.