(Columbia) Jan. 5, 2004 - The Democratic presidential candidates have descended on the Palmetto State like bees to honey. They've been filing their candidate papers, visiting everywhere from churches to factories and running campaign ads across the state

The race is starting to heat up and state party leaders like Nu Wexler say they will be ready to put on the primary, "We don't have everyone in place, but we have this month to work it out and make sure everyone is ready to go."

He says they're hoping for a higher turnout than they got in their last presidential primary, which was only about 115,000, or 7% of registered voters, "I think early in the fall we didn't have a whole lot of people asking us about the primary. That's definitely changed when candidates went up with advertising, that really changed."

WIS asked some people around Columbia if they have started focusing on the primary. News 10 asked people to just name some of the candidates and got responses from, "None," to, "Probably three, maybe four," and, "I guess Al Sharpton, Dean, Braun, Geckhart - whatever his name is."

Camden resident Amy Radcliff has a theory about why, "I think everyone's a little busy with everything going in the country and getting over the holiday season."

Wexler says the candidates will become harder to ignore as the primary spotlight becomes more intense, "The eyes of the state and the nation will be on South Carolina on February 3 and we want to make sure it looks good."

There has been speculation the party is having difficulty raising the approximately $500,000 needed for the primary. Wexler wouldn't comment on the issue.

By Heather Brown
Posted 7:37pm by BrettWitt