1916 South Carolina gubernatorial election

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1916 South Carolina Democratic gubernatorial primary runoff
Flag of South Carolina.svg
  1914 September 12, 1916 (1916-09-12) 1918  
  Richard Irvine Manning III circa 1915.jpg Coleman L Blease (cropped).jpg
Candidate Richard Irvine Manning III Cole Blease
Party Democratic Democratic
Popular vote71,46366,791
Percentage51.7%48.3%

1916 South Carolina gubernatorial Democratic primary election results map by county.svg
County results
Manning:     50-60%     60-70%     70-80%
Blease:     50-60%     60-70%

Governor of South Carolina before election

Richard Manning III
Democratic

Elected Governor of South Carolina

Richard Manning III
Democratic

The 1916 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1916, to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. Governor Richard Irvine Manning III faced a strong challenge from former governor Coleman Livingston Blease in the Democratic primary, but Manning won a second two-year term as governor.

Contents

Democratic primary

Candidates

Campaign

Governor Richard Irvine Manning III ran for a second term, but faced a challenge in the state Democratic primary from former governor Coleman Livingston Blease and Robert Archer Cooper. The progressive reforms initiated by Governor Manning alarmed many of the textile owners who threw their support to Cooper. Blease revived his political coalition of mill workers and sharecroppers and he made political capital out of Manning's use of troops to enforce a court eviction order against strikers at a mill in Anderson. Senator Ben Tillman openly supported the re-election of Governor Manning.

The results of the primary on August 29 had Blease in first place, but just short of a majority necessary to avoid a runoff election. With the elimination of Cooper, the mill executives threw their support to Manning. Indeed, most South Carolinians not already supporting Blease preferred Manning to Blease. Many viewed the election as one of government and misgovernment. Manning eked out a victory in the runoff on September 12 and was essentially elected to a second two-year term because there was nominal opposition in the general election.

Results

Democratic Primary
CandidateVotes%
Coleman Livingston Blease 64,38446.7
Richard Irvine Manning III 41,536 30.2
Robert Archer Cooper 31,305 22.7
John M. DesChamps 307 0.2
John T. Duncan 269 0.2

Runoff results

Democratic Primary Runoff
CandidateVotes%±%
Richard Irvine Manning III 71,46351.7+21.5
Coleman Livingston Blease 66,79148.3+1.6

General election

The general election was held on November 7, 1916, and Richard Irvine Manning III was re-elected governor of South Carolina without opposition. Turnout increased over the previous gubernatorial election because there was also a presidential election on the ballot.

South Carolina Gubernatorial Election, 1916
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Richard Irvine Manning III (incumbent) 60,405 97.9 −1.9
Independent Coleman Livingston Blease 1,0891.8+1.8
Socialist J.C. Gibbes1630.3+0.1
No party Write-Ins 380.00.0
Majority59,31696.1−3.5
Turnout 61,695
Democratic hold

See also

References

Preceded by
1914
South Carolina gubernatorial elections Succeeded by
1918