South Carolina gubernatorial election, 1912

The 1912 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1912 to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. Governor Coleman Livingston Blease won the Democratic primary and won the general election to earn a second two-year term.

Democratic Primary

Governor Coleman Livingston Blease ran for a second term, but he faced a credible challenge in the state Democratic primary against Ira B. Jones. Senator Ben Tillman felt that Blease had greatly damaged the reputation of the state and was morally unfit to be governor, but because his re-election was on the same ballot he feared to openly oppose Blease so as to cause his own political downfall. Nevertheless, Tillman published a letter at the last minute stating his opposition to Blease. It was rather ironic because Tillman was essentially aiding the very people he had opposed in his 1890 gubernatorial contest. Despite Tillman's objection, Blease won the primary election on August 27 and he avoided a runoff election by obtaining over 50% of the vote.

General Election

The general election was held on November 5, 1912 and Coleman Livingston Blease was reelected governor of South Carolina. Turnout increased over the previous gubernatorial election because there was also a presidential election on the ballot.

Election box candidate with party link
party = Democratic Party (United States)
candidate = Coleman Livingston Blease
votes = 44,122
percentage = 99.5
change = -0.5 Election box candidate with party link
party = Socialist Party of America
candidate = R.B. Britton
votes = 208
percentage = 0.5
change = +0.5 Election box majority
votes = 43,914
percentage = 99.0
change = -1.0Election box turnout
votes = 44,330
percentage =
change =
colspan=5 |Democratic hold
-

frame|300px|none|1912 South Carolina gubernatorial election map, by percentile by county.

ee also

*Governor of South Carolina
*List of Governors of South Carolina
*South Carolina gubernatorial elections

References

*cite book | first = Ernest McPherson | last = Lander, Jr. | title = A History of South Carolina, 1865-1960 | year = 1970 | publisher = University of South Carolina Press | id = ISBN 0872491692 | pages = p. 52
*cite book | last = Jordan | first = Frank E | title = The Primary State: A History of the Democratic Party in South Carolina, 1876-1962 | pages = pp. 28-30
*"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 III. Columbia, SC: 1913, pp. 422-423.
*cite news |title= Blease's Majority is 4,000 Votes |work= The News and Courier |date= 30 August 1912 |page= 1

External links

* [http://www.sciway.net/hist/governors/blease.html SCIway Biography of Coleman Livingston Blease]

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list=South Carolina gubernatorial elections
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