United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina, 1896

frame|300px|right|South Carolina Congressional Districts, 1896

The 1896 South Carolina United States House of Representatives elections were held on November 3, 1896 to select seven Representatives for two-year terms from the state of South Carolina. Five Democratic incumbents were re-elected, one Republican incumbent was defeated, and the open seat was retained by the Democrats. The composition of the state delegation after the election was solely Democratic.

1st Congressional District

Incumbent Republican Congressman George W. Murray of the 1st congressional district, in office since 1896, was defeated by Democratic challenger William Elliott.

General election results

Election box candidate with party link
party = Democratic Party (United States)
candidate = William Elliott
votes = 4,652
percentage = 63.7
change = +4.6
-
bgcolor="#FF3333"
Reorganized Republican
George W. Murray (incumbent)
align="right" | 2,478
align="right" | 33.9
align="right" | N/A
-Election box candidate with party link
party = Republican Party (United States)
candidate = W. Cecil Cohen
votes = 173
percentage = 2.4
change = N/AElection box candidate
party = "No party"
candidate = Write-Ins
votes = 2
percentage = 0.0
change = 0.0Election box majority
votes = 2,174
percentage = 29.8
change = +11.6Election box turnout
votes = 7,305
percentage =
change =
colspan=5 |Democratic gain from Republican
-

2nd Congressional District

Incumbent Democratic Congressman W. Jasper Talbert of the 2nd congressional district, in office since 1893, defeated Republican challenger B.P. Chatfield.

General election results

Election box candidate with party link
party = Democratic Party (United States)
candidate = W. Jasper Talbert (incumbent)
votes = 7,999
percentage = 92.4
change = -7.1Election box candidate with party link
party = Republican Party (United States)
candidate = B.P. Chatfield
votes = 635
percentage = 7.3
change = +7.3Election box candidate
party = "No party"
candidate = Write-Ins
votes = 21
percentage = 0.3
change = -0.2Election box majority
votes = 7,364
percentage = 85.1
change = -13.9Election box turnout
votes = 8,655
percentage =
change =
colspan=5 |Democratic hold
-

3rd Congressional District

Incumbent Democratic Congressman Asbury Latimer of the 3rd congressional district, in office since 1893, won the Democratic primary and defeated two Republican candidates in the general election.

Democratic primary

General election results

Election box candidate with party link
party = Democratic Party (United States)
candidate = Thomas J. Strait (incumbent)
votes = 8,511
percentage = 91.0
change = +23.4Election box candidate with party link
party = Republican Party (United States)
candidate = John F. Jones
votes = 838
percentage = 9.0
change = -8.0Election box majority
votes = 7,673
percentage = 82.0
change = +31.4Election box turnout
votes = 9,349
percentage =
change =
colspan=5 |Democratic hold
-

6th Congressional District

Incumbent Democratic Congressman John L. McLaurin of the 6th congressional district, in office since 1893, defeated two Republican candidates in the general election.

General election results

Election box candidate with party link
party = Democratic Party (United States)
candidate = John L. McLaurin (incumbent)
votes = 9,725
percentage = 87.7
change = +10.8Election box candidate with party link
party = Republican Party (United States)
candidate = J.E. Wilson
votes = 878
percentage = 7.9
change = N/A
-
bgcolor="#FF3333"
Reorganized Republican
George Henry McKie
align="right" | 482
align="right" | 4.3
align="right" | N/A
-Election box candidate
party = "No party"
candidate = Write-Ins
votes = 9
percentage = 0.1
change = +0.1Election box majority
votes = 8,847
percentage = 79.8
change = +26.0Election box turnout
votes = 11,094
percentage =
change =
colspan=5 |Democratic hold
-

7th Congressional District Special Election

The seat for the 7th congressional district was declared vacant by the Republican controlled Congress in 1896. A special election was called to be held simultaneously with the regular election and J. William Stokes defeated two Republican candidates in the election.

General election results

Election box candidate with party link
party = Democratic Party (United States)
candidate = J. William Stokes
votes = 8,223
percentage = 88.2
change = +15.2Election box candidate with party link
party = Republican Party (United States)
candidate = T.B. Johnson
votes = 1,068
percentage = 11.5
change = N/A
-
bgcolor="#FF3333"
Independent Republican
D.A. Perrin
align="right" | 26
align="right" | 0.3
align="right" | N/A
-Election box candidate
party = "No party"
candidate = Write-Ins
votes = 1
percentage = 0.0
change = -0.7Election box majority
votes = 7,155
percentage = 76.7
change = +30.0Election box turnout
votes = 9,318
percentage =
change =
colspan=5 |Democratic hold
-

7th Congressional District

J. William Stokes, the winner of the previous election for the 7th congressional district, defeated Altamount Moses in the Democratic primary and two Republican candidates in the general election.

Democratic primary

General election results

Election box candidate with party link
party = Democratic Party (United States)
candidate = J. William Stokes
votes = 8,065
percentage = 85.6
change = -2.6Election box candidate with party link
party = Republican Party (United States)
candidate = T.B. Johnson
votes = 1,342
percentage = 14.2
change = +2.7
-
bgcolor="#FF3333"
Independent Republican
D.A. Perrin
align="right" | 22
align="right" | 0.2
align="right" | -0.1
-Election box majority
votes = 6,723
percentage = 71.4
change = -5.3Election box turnout
votes = 9,429
percentage =
change =
colspan=5 |Democratic hold
-

ee also

*United States House of Representatives elections, 1896
*South Carolina gubernatorial election, 1896
*South Carolina's congressional districts

References

*cite book | last = Jordan | first = Frank E | title = The Primary State: A History of the Democratic Party in South Carolina, 1876-1962 | pages = pp. 103-104, 109, 113, 122
*"Report of the Secretary of State to the General Assembly of South Carolina. Election Returns." "Reports and Resolutions of the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina at the Regular Session Commencing January 12, 1897". Volume I. Columbia, SC: 1897, pp. 4-7.