South Carolina Democrats increasingly are optimistic about the chances of keeping their first-in-the-South presidential primary.

They should get some indication Thursday when the Democratic Party’s rules and bylaws committee meets in Washington to hear from states bidding to be in the early voting.

No final action will be taken at the meeting, but the session is considered an important screening step in the process.

Keeping an early primary is important to S.C. party leaders. It draws national attention to the state, keeps candidates in the region longer and allows Democrats to split the state’s attention with Republicans, who have a tradition of early S.C. primaries.

States will be considered by the committee based on their racial, ethnic and geographic diversity, as well as economic factors, such as the level of union membership.

State Democratic Party chairman Joe Erwin will make South Carolina’s presentation.

Earlier this year, the DNC’s rules and bylaws committee agreed to move one or two caucuses ahead of the New Hampshire primary.

Under the plan, Iowa’s January caucus would remain the first contest for presidential candidates.

One or two more undetermined primaries would be added before the calendar is opened to all states in early February.

South Carolina’s position is strengthened by the presence of two Palmetto State members on the rules and bylaws committee. They are Don Fowler of Columbia, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee and former state chairman, and his wife, Carol Khare.

“It’s very important to us that we remain the first-in-the-South primary because of the natural benefits we get,” Khare said. “But it’s also important that, when the South Carolina Republicans have an early primary, that we do also.”

In 2004, Republicans did not hold a primary because President Bush had no opposition. The Democrats conducted a contest by themselves.

Republicans won’t set their presidential primary calendar until September 2007. The Democratic schedule will be set later this year.

In South Carolina, the political parties pay the costs of the presidential primaries. In 2004, S.C. Democrats spent roughly $250,000 to put on their contest. Republicans spent an estimated $550,000 in 2000.

The move for early primaries in states more diverse than Iowa or New Hampshire has been powered by minorities pushing for more of a voice in the early voting.

“There’s been a feeling for a long time now that Iowa and New Hampshire do not represent the whole country or the party,” Khare said. “They are very white states.

“The idea is that you get a much better nominee who has to campaign in more diverse states.”

The new early states most likely would come from the South and West to provide regional diversity.

Blacks make up 27 percent of South Carolina’s voters. In a Democratic primary, those numbers increase dramatically, sometimes accounting for nearly 40 percent of the turnout.

The state also has some of the more conservative Democrats in the nation. Some party leaders think that is important, favoring candidates who may be more electable in the later general election.