South Carolina Trails Behind in Candidate Spending

At least a small part of the push to get South Carolina on the front of the primary calendar every four years is to take advantage of the candidate spending that typically floods the state.

So far in the 2012 election season, that has been more of a trickle.

The Palmetto State trails woefully behind other early primary states in candidate spending, bringing in just $721,000 in advertising, hotels, meals, travel, staff spending and other travel expenses so far, according to Federal Elections Commission figures released this week. The FEC also released .

Columbia received more than a third of South Carolina's candidate spending. GOP candidates have spent $309,901.50 in the capital city on expenses such as food, lodging, computer supplies, filing fees, payroll for employees and public relations and management consulting. 

Iowa, where the caucus is typically the first of the Republican election battles, has brought in $2.6 million already. New Hampshire, the first in the North primary, has brought in $4.6 million. Wisconsin, the site of hotly contested races in recent months and another early primary state, has brought in $7.3 million.

Florida’s attempt to steal some of South Carolina’s thunder, meanwhile, has apparently worked. Organizers have scheduled Florida’s primary for Jan. 31, deeply uprooting the traditional GOP schedule. South Carolina was forced to move its primary from March to Jan. 21 to stay in front.

But candidates are spending their time and money in Florida, which has already brought in $2.1 million in spending. Another Southern state that has become a bellwether for the nation, Virginia, has brought in $8.8 million in spending already – not a surprise given its proximity to Washington, D.C.

Even though the primary calendars are being set, there is still some drama with the South Carolina GOP. to stop the state from holding the primary in January and forcing the counties to pay a portion of the bill.