1874 South Carolina gubernatorial election

Last updated

1874 South Carolina gubernatorial election
Flag of South Carolina.svg
  1872 November 3, 1874 1876  
  Daniel Henry Chamberlain (cropped).jpg 3x4.svg
Nominee Daniel Henry Chamberlain John T. Green
Party Republican Independent Republican
Alliance - Democratic
Popular vote80,40368,818
Percentage53.87%46.11%

1874 South Carolina gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
County results
Chamberlain:     50-60%     60-70%     70-80%
Green:     50-60%     60-70%     70-80%     80-90%

Governor before election

Franklin J. Moses, Jr.
Republican

Elected Governor

Daniel Henry Chamberlain
Republican

The 1874 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1874, to select the governor and lieutenant governor of the state of South Carolina. Daniel Henry Chamberlain won the election and became the 76th governor of South Carolina.

Contents

This was the last South Carolina gubernatorial election won by a Republican until 1974. Since the 1990s, the Republican Party has become more dominant in the state. As of 2023, all of the statewide officeholders are held by Republicans.

Campaign

Republican nomination for Governor
CandidateVotes%
Daniel Henry Chamberlain 73 59.4
John T. Green 40 32.5
John Winsmith 10 8.1

At the convention of the state Republicans on September 8 through September 11 in Columbia, the delegates felt that reform was vital for the continuation of Republican power. Governor Franklin J. Moses, Jr. was caught up in corruption scandals and never considered as a nominee for reelection to Governor. Instead, Daniel Henry Chamberlain was nominated for Governor and soundly won the nomination.

Chamberlain had been the Attorney General of South Carolina from 1868 to 1872 and pushed for reform of the state government. His association with Radical Republicans such as Senator John J. Patterson and former Governor Robert Kingston Scott enabled him to keep the support of stalwart Republicans while preaching a reform message.

It was this close association with Radical Republicans that again caused a split within the Republican party. The Independent Republicans met in Charleston on October 2 to select candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor. John T. Green was chosen to be their nominee for Governor and Martin Delany, a black man, was their candidate for lieutenant governor. The Independent Republicans adopted the Republican platform and the only difference between the two parties was that the Independent Republicans claimed their intention to clean up state government if elected.

The Conservative Party of South Carolina formed in 1874 from the members of the State Tax Union advocating for change. They endorsed the Independent Republican ticket for statewide offices and their platform consisted entirely of restoring honesty and efficiency in state government.

General election

The general election was held on November 3, 1874, and Daniel Henry Chamberlain was elected as governor of South Carolina. Turnout was the highest for a gubernatorial election thus held in South Carolina, although many white voters stayed away from the polls.

South Carolina Gubernatorial Election, 1874
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Daniel Henry Chamberlain 80,403 53.9 −11.5
Independent Republican John T. Green 68,81846.1+11.8
No party Write-Ins 190.0−0.3
Majority11,5857.8−23.3
Turnout 149,240
Republican hold
1874 South Carolina gubernatorial election map, by percentile by county.
.mw-parser-output .legend{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .legend-color{display:inline-block;min-width:1.25em;height:1.25em;line-height:1.25;margin:1px 0;text-align:center;border:1px solid black;background-color:transparent;color:black}.mw-parser-output .legend-text{}
65+% won by Chamberlain
60%-64% won by Chamberlain
55%-59% won by Chamberlain
50%-54% won by Chamberlain
50%-54% won by Green
55%-59% won by Green
60%-64% won by Green
65+% won by Green 1874SCGovResults.png
1874 South Carolina gubernatorial election map, by percentile by county.
  65+% won by Chamberlain
  60%-64% won by Chamberlain
  55%-59% won by Chamberlain
  50%-54% won by Chamberlain
  50%-54% won by Green
  55%-59% won by Green
  60%-64% won by Green
  65+% won by Green

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Henry Chamberlain</span> American politician

Daniel Henry Chamberlain was an American planter, lawyer, author and the 76th Governor of South Carolina from 1874 until 1876 or 1877. The federal government withdrew troops from the state and ended Reconstruction that year. Chamberlain was the last Republican governor of South Carolina until James B. Edwards was elected in 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 United States gubernatorial elections</span>

United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 7, 2006, in 36 states and two territories. The elections coincided with the midterm elections of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2002 United States gubernatorial elections</span>

United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 5, 2002, in 36 states and two territories. The Republicans won eight seats previously held by the Democrats, as well as the seat previously held by Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura, who was elected on the Reform Party ticket but had since renounced his party affiliation. The Democrats won 10 seats previously held by the Republicans, as well as the seat previously held by Maine governor Angus King, an independent. The elections were held concurrently with the other United States elections of 2002.

The Independent Republican Party of South Carolina was a political party of South Carolina during Reconstruction. It was founded in 1872 to oppose the election of Franklin J. Moses Jr. for Governor of South Carolina after he had been nominated by the Republicans on August 21, 1872. Former governor James Lawrence Orr denounced the selection of Moses and led the formation of a new party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1876 South Carolina gubernatorial election</span>

The 1876 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1876, to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. The election campaign was a referendum on the Radical Republican-led state government and their Reconstruction policies. Opponents disputed the challenger Wade Hampton III's victory, gained by a margin of little more than 1100 votes statewide. But he took office in April 1877, after President Hayes withdrew federal troops as a result of a national Democratic compromise, and the incumbent Daniel Henry Chamberlain left the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1878 South Carolina gubernatorial election</span>

The 1878 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1878 to select the governor of South Carolina. Wade Hampton III was renominated by the Democrats and ran against no organized opposition in the general election to win reelection for a second two-year term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1870 South Carolina gubernatorial election</span>

The 1870 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on October 19, 1870, to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. Governor Robert Kingston Scott easily won reelection based entirely on the strength of the black vote in the state. The election was significant because white conservatives of the state claimed it showed that political harmony between the white and black races was impossible and only through a straightout Democratic attempt would they be able to regain control of state government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1872 South Carolina gubernatorial election</span>

The 1872 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on October 16, 1872, to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. Franklin J. Moses, Jr. won the election as a Radical Republican against the more moderate faction of the Republican Party and became the 75th governor of South Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1970 South Carolina gubernatorial election</span>

The 1970 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1970 to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. John C. West, the Democratic nominee, won a close general election against Albert Watson, the Republican congressman from the 2nd congressional district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1974 South Carolina gubernatorial election</span>

The 1974 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1974 to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. Initially considered a longshot candidate, Republican James B. Edwards defeated Democrat W. J. Bryan Dorn with a narrow majority of the vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2002 South Carolina gubernatorial election</span>

The 2002 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 2002, to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. Mark Sanford, the Republican nominee, defeated incumbent Democratic governor Jim Hodges to become the 115th governor of South Carolina. Hodges became only the third incumbent governor and the first Democratic governor in South Carolina history to lose reelection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1880 South Carolina gubernatorial election</span>

The 1880 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1880 to s elect the governor of South Carolina. Johnson Hagood was nominated by the Democrats and ran against L. W. R. Blair, a Greenback-Labor candidate. Hagood easily won the general election and became the 80th governor of South Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1882 South Carolina gubernatorial election</span>

The 1882 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1882 to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. Hugh Smith Thompson was nominated by the Democrats and ran against J. Hendrix McLane, a Greenback-Labor candidate. Thompson easily won the general election and became the 81st governor of South Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1890 South Carolina gubernatorial election</span>

The 1890 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday November 4, to elect the governor of South Carolina. Ben Tillman was nominated by the Democrats and easily won the general election against A.C. Haskell to become the 84th governor of South Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1896 South Carolina gubernatorial election</span>

The 1896 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1896 to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. William Haselden Ellerbe won the Democratic primary and easily won the general election to become the 86th governor of South Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Democratic Party of Arkansas</span> Political organization in Arkansas, U.S.

The Democratic Party of Arkansas is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the state of Arkansas. The current party chair is Grant Tennille. Former U.S. president Bill Clinton was born in Arkansas, and served as state governor from 1979 to 1981 and 1983 to 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 North Carolina gubernatorial election</span>

The 2012 North Carolina gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2012, concurrently with the 2012 United States presidential election, U.S. House election, statewide judicial election, Council of State election and various local elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 United States gubernatorial elections</span>

United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 8, 2022, in 36 states and three territories. As most governors serve four-year terms, the last regular gubernatorial elections for all but two of the seats took place in the 2018 U.S. gubernatorial elections. The gubernatorial elections took place concurrently with several other federal, state, and local elections, as part of the 2022 midterm elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 South Carolina gubernatorial election</span>

The 2022 South Carolina gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 2022, to elect the governor of South Carolina. Incumbent Republican governor Henry McMaster ran for re-election for a second full term in office and secured the Republican nomination in the June 14 primary. Joe Cunningham, former United States Representative from South Carolina's 1st congressional district, was the Democratic nominee. McMaster won the general election with 58% of the vote — a larger margin than in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disputed government of South Carolina of 1876–77</span>

From December 1876 to April 1877, the Republican and Democratic parties in South Carolina each claimed to be the legitimate government. Both parties declared that the other had lost the election and that they controlled the governorship, the state legislature, and most state offices. Each government debated and passed laws, raised militias, collected taxes, and conducted other business as if the other did not exist. After four months of contested government, Daniel Henry Chamberlain, who claimed the governorship as a Republican, conceded to Democrat Wade Hampton III on April 11, 1877. This came after President Rutherford Hayes withdrew federal troops from the South.

References

Preceded by
1872
South Carolina gubernatorial elections Succeeded by
1876