The South Carolina Republican Party administers its own presidential primary with no help from state or local elections officials. Therefore, the party is free to set the date whenever it wants. The state chairman of the party has hinted to the press that the state party will move the primary so that it is earlier than January 29. The South Carolina Republican Party’s goal is to have the 2nd earliest state presidential primary in the nation (after New Hampshire). Since Florida’s presidential primary will be on January 29, that will probably propel an earlier South Carolina Republican primary. Under national Republican Party rules, the state party has until September 4, 2007 to settle on the primary date.