Clinton wins handily, both locally and statewide. "People are in shock."

Bernie Sanders may have had a chance to win over Democratic voters in South Carolina, especially after beating Hillary Clinton with more than 60 percent of the vote in the New Hampshire primary two weeks earlier.

But whatever chances the Vermont senator had evaporated as the former first lady and secretary of state won nearly 75 percent of the vote in Saturday’s South Carolina primary. Sanders, who wasn’t in the state Saturday night, issued a press statement congratulating Clinton on her victory less than 10 minutes after polls closed at 7 p.m.

Locally, Clinton carried Chester County with almost 80 percent of the vote, and carried Lancaster County with 3,332 votes out of 4,564 cast. In York County, Clinton lead with 60 percent of the vote with the vast majority of precincts having reported Saturday night.

Like many of the state’s leading Democrats, Chester City Councilwoman Angela Douglas spent election night at Clinton’s victory party in Columbia.

“I’m super-excited,” Douglas said. “You never underestimate anyone. I thought it was a well-fought campaign (for Sanders). I’m excited to see our constituency came out to exercise their right to vote. Now this means (Clinton’s) campaign is going to go as far as it can, including the White House.”

Despite the margin of Clinton’s victory, local Democratic leaders thought Sanders had a real chance of making a showing in South Carolina.

“I saw Bernie pull ahead in the field, then in the last week or two, the Hillary people got it into their heads that it might be close,” said York County Democratic chairwoman Amy Hayes, reached by phone at the Clinton primary night event.

Both candidates did their best to reach African-American voters, who made up more than 60 percent of the estimated statewide turnout, up from 55 percent in 2008. Those voters are thought to have heavily favored Clinton.

“It’s a state with a heavily African-American constituency, and Clinton spoke to that,” Douglas said. “Some people say it’s pandering, but you’ve got to ask for people’s vote.”

Despite his best efforts, Hayes said Sanders’s campaign was “slightly tone-deaf” when it came to reaching black voters in the state.

“When Sanders had his rally in Rock Hill, the campaign was given a list of local civil rights leaders to invite with an explanation of who they were, and the campaign didn’t seem to think that was important,” she said. “They had Cornel West speak for the campaign, who had some choice words about President Obama. What voters in South Carolina know about Cornel West is what he’s said about Obama.”

As voters headed to the polls Saturday, many who opted for Clinton said they agreed with much of what Sanders said, but didn’t think he was ready to be president.

“I don’t know Bernie. I hear him talk, but it don’t make sense,” said Charlie S. Blake Sr. of Rock Hill. “The Senate and Congress aren’t going to let him do anything. We’ve got to get rid of them.”

John M. Douglas of Rock Hill voted for Clinton because “She has the experience,” he said. “These politicians don’t do anything for the middle class. They do everything for the rich, and we’re left struggling.”

Sanders’s appeal to young people wasn’t enough to carry him above 25 percent in the final results. Roman Vitanza, president of the College Democrats at Winthrop University, said the early call for Clinton threw a damper on a watch party on campus, where Sanders was heavily favored.

“A couple people walked in and walked out after seeing the results,” Vitanza said. “We knew the Hillary campaign was working the state. We knew this would be a Hillary state... but people are in shock. Nobody predicted this.”

While Sanders made a pitch to young voters, “it was not as multi-layered as Obama in ’08,” when another senator upset Clinton’s campaign in South Carolina, Angela Douglas said.

While local Democrats agreed South Carolina will likely be carried by the Republican nominee in November, they expect to see local volunteers help make a push in North Carolina, Georgia and other states that might be in play in what has already been an unusual campaign.

“People tonight were already talking about going to other states,” Vitanza said. “(Interest) may even increase now. People are even more fired up. There’s no middle ground now.”

Turnout was light across the tri-county area, especially a week after the Republican primary drew more than 700,000 voters across South Carolina. Shortly before polls closed, election directors in York and Lancaster counties said they expected turnout to be around 10 percent of eligible voters, although Chester County director Terry Graham said turnout in his county could be up from what was seen during the GOP contest.

Donald Trump won that contest. If both South Carolina’s results are confirmed on Super Tuesday March 1, a general election matchup between Clinton and Trump is likely.

Hayes said that while many young Sanders voters may be disappointed in how the primary race turned out, she hoped those voters will not now drop out of the political process.

“My wish is that Bernie Sanders supporters will go on to focus on congressional races,” she said. “A more Bernie-friendly Congress could pass a lot of what this generation wants.”

This story was originally published February 27, 2016 at 10:27 PM with the headline "Clinton wins handily, both locally and statewide. "People are in shock."."