From Fortune:

Ron DeSantis has launched his campaign in South Carolina to compete against Donald Trump and Nikki Haley. DeSantis spoke to voters in Myrtle Beach and Florence, highlighting his military experience and conservative credentials. Though detractors fear a Trump victory in the primary, some support DeSantis for his efficiency in telling it like it is.

The crowds gathered as DeSantis addressed concerns and tried to wrest support away from Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina. Critics brought up alleged shortcomings of Haley’s governorship, and discussed a gas tax which never came to fruition. The move to New Hampshire to solidify his campaign doesn’t allow him the platform to discuss his previous achievements enough and combat Haley’s failure to keep promises during her time as governor.

Both Trump and DeSantis have omitted a significant part of the gas tax proposal Haley floated in 2015. That proposal would lead to a cut in state income tax. South Carolina lawmakers ultimately raised the gas tax under her successor, overriding a veto by Gov. Henry McMaster, Trump’s top backer in the state.

While Nikki Haley and Donald Trump campaign in New Hampshire, DeSantis is raising voter awareness in South Carolina by creating a platform highlighting restorative conservative leadership. While supporters are ready to stand behind DeSantis’ “straight shooter” characteristics, detractors remain undecided. The outcome of this pandemic-era GOP primary remains uncertain.



Read more: ‘Everybody’s scared to death of Trump’: Even some Ron DeSantis supporters in South Carolina think he’s going to lose