United States Senate election in South Carolina, 1914

The 1914 South Carolina United States Senate election was held on November 3, 1914 to select the U.S. Senator from the state of South Carolina. It was the first election in South Carolina in which the voters were able to choose the candidate in the general election. Incumbent Democratic Senator Ellison D. Smith won the Democratic primary and defeated nominal opposition in the general election to win another six year term.

Democratic primary

Coleman Livingston Blease, Governor of South Carolina from 1910 to 1914, was barred from seeking another term by the South Carolina constitution. He wanted to continue holding a public office so he challenged incumbent Senator Ellison D. Smith in the Democratic primary election for U.S. Senator. However, the voters were tired of Blease and he and those allied with him suffered defeat in the 1914 Democratic primaries on August 25.

General election campaign

Since the end of Reconstruction in 1877, the Democratic Party dominated the politics of South Carolina and its statewide candidates were never seriously challenged. Smith did not campaign for the general election as there was no chance of defeat.

General election results

Election box candidate with party link
party = Democratic Party (United States)
candidate = Ellison D. Smith (incumbent)
votes = 32,950
percentage = 99.7
change = N/AElection box candidate with party link
party = Socialist Party of America
candidate = James H. Roberts
votes = 89
percentage = 0.3
change = N/AElection box majority
votes = 32,861
percentage = 99.4
change = N/AElection box turnout
votes = 33,039
percentage =
change =
colspan=5 |Democratic hold
-

frame|300px|none|1914 South Carolina U.S. Senate county map

ee also

*List of United States Senators from South Carolina
*United States Senate elections, 1914
*United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina, 1914
*South Carolina gubernatorial election, 1914

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. 63-64
*"Report of the Secretary of State to the General Assembly of South Carolina. Part II." "Reports and Resolutions of the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina". Volume IV. Columbia, SC: 1915, p. 339.