United States Senate election in South Carolina, 1932

The 1932 South Carolina United States Senate election was held on November 8, 1932 to select the U.S. Senator from the state of South Carolina. Incumbent Democratic Senator Ellison D. Smith won the Democratic primary and defeated Republican challenger Clara Harrigal in the general election to win another six year term.

Democratic primary

Senator Ellison D. Smith was opposed in the Democratic primary by longtime South Carolina politician Coleman Livingston Blease. Smith was the leader in the first primary election on August 30 and won the runoff election two weeks later on September 13.

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. Republican Clara Harrigal, an Aiken businesswoman and Republican National Committeewoman, was the first woman to run for statewide office in South Carolina.

General election results

Election box candidate with party link
party = Democratic Party (United States)
candidate = Ellison D. Smith (incumbent)
votes = 104,472
percentage = 98.1
change = -1.9Election box candidate with party link
party = Republican Party (United States)
candidate = Clara Harrigal
votes = 1,976
percentage = 1.9
change = +1.9Election box majority
votes = 102,496
percentage = 96.2
change = -3.8Election box turnout
votes = 106,448
percentage =
change =
colspan=5 |Democratic hold
-

frame|300px|none|1932 South Carolina U.S. Senate county map

ee also

*List of United States Senators from South Carolina
*United States Senate elections, 1932
*United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina, 1932

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. 72-73
*"Supplemental Report of the Secretary of State to the General Assembly of South Carolina." "Reports of State Officers Boards and Committees to the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina". Volume I. Columbia, SC: 1933, p. 6.
*cite news | title=Makings of the 73rd | url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,744423,00.html | publisher=Time | date=1932-09-26 | accessdate=2008-03-14