Five South Carolinians for whom this week’s Democratic National Convention will have special significance:

Fritz Hollings

• Hollings is 82 and, after 38 years in the U.S. Senate, has decided to retire when a new Congress convenes in January. He isn’t up for a goodbye party just yet, but many Democrats, from South Carolina and beyond will want to recognize him at the convention for his decades of service to his state and his party.

Inez Tenenbaum

• The S.C. superintendent of schools and wannabe U.S. senator plans only the shortest of visits to the convention. While she seeks the monetary support of Democrats nationwide, she also needs the votes of S.C. Republicans in November and doesn’t want to appear too close to the national party.

Jim Clyburn

• The Columbia congressman and former chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus will be honored with a speaker’s spot at the convention. Clyburn is valued within the party particularly for his connections with the African-American community, an important Democratic constituency.

John Spratt

• The congressman from York and ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee was named in 2000 as a top choice for the head of the Office of Management and Budget should the Democrats retake the White House. They didn’t. But Spratt’s name still is circulating for that job in case Kerry beats Bush. At the convention, look for Spratt to temper the Democrat’s liberal image with his fiscal conservatism.

John Edwards

• Sure, he crossed the border from South Carolina to North Carolina when he was just a child. And, sure, he represents North Carolina, not South Carolina in the U.S. Senate. But Seneca-born Edwards still talks about his Palmetto State roots, and S.C. Democrats are hoping he will pay them a visit during the convention — maybe just to say “thanks” for being the only Democrats to give him a first place primary finish.

— By Lauren Markoe