Photographing Pete Buttigieg: Presidential Politics in South Carolina

Photos and words by Sean Rayford

I pitched four photo assignments to my editors at Getty Images last week. I photographed two.

Here in South Carolina, there is a special election for the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate next week. The president visited and state Democrats recently secured their spot as first primary in the nation for the 2028 presidential election.

ORANGEBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA - AUGUST 22: Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg shares a laugh at Edisto Fork United Methodist Church during an NAACP fundraiser on August 22, 2026 in Orangeburg, South Carolina. South Carolina will hold the first Democratic primary in the next presidential election, making the Palmetto State a strategic stop for potential candidates like Buttigieg. ***(Photos by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)***
*Camera:* *Sony A9II* *| Lens:* *Sony 50mm Zeiss |* *Settings: F1.4 / 1/250 sec / ISO 3200*

Initially, editors passed on a Pete Buttigieg appearance at 5th Spratt Issues Conference. But they circled back the day before with new data and I was off to Florence, SC on Saturday.

Once there, I met the press secretary for Buttigieg and she asked me if I was going to an event with Buttigieg later that day in Orangeburg. This was a fundraiser for NAACP and I was previously unaware of the event. My information about the Buttigieg visit to SC came from a state party press release.

FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA - AUGUST 22: Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg speaks during the Spratt Issues Conference at the Francis Marion University Performing Arts Center on August 22, 2026 in Florence, South Carolina. South Carolina will hold the first Democratic primary in the next presidential election, making the Palmetto State a strategic stop for potential candidates like Buttigieg. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

When I had a moment to step outside the venue I called the editor on duty and they were happy to add the second event to the assignment.

South Carolinians vote in Jan of 2028 and we’re still very early in the cycle. And this is really nice for me because a year from now, these events will be swamped with news crews.

Things are pretty laid back for now.

Scenes from a Special Election in SC