1948 United States Senate election in South Carolina

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1948 Democratic Senate primary in South Carolina
Flag of South Carolina.svg
  1942 November 2, 1948 1954  
  Burnet R. Maybank.jpg W. J. Bryan Dorn.jpg
Nominee Burnet R. Maybank W.J. Bryan Dorn
Party Democratic Democratic
Popular vote161,60876,749
Percentage51.63%24.85%

 
NomineeNeville BennettAlan Johnstone
Party Democratic Democratic
Popular vote43,06817,689
Percentage13.48%5.44%

1948 United States Democratic primary in South Carolina results map by county.svg
Results by county
Maybank:      40–50%     50–60%     60–70%
Dorn:      30–40%     40–50%     50-60%     60–70%
Bennett:      80-90%

U.S. senator before election

Burnet R. Maybank
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Burnet R. Maybank
Democratic

The 1948 South Carolina United States Senate election was held on November 2, 1948, to select the U.S. Senator from the state of South Carolina. Incumbent Senator Burnet R. Maybank won the Democratic primary and defeated Republican challenger J. Bates Gerald in the general election to win another six-year term.

Contents

Democratic primary

Candidates

Results

Senator Maybank narrowly achieved a majority of the primary vote, avoiding a potential run-off election against Dorn.

Democratic Primary
CandidateVotes%
Burnet R. Maybank 161,608 51.5
W.J. Bryan Dorn 76,749 24.4
Neville Bennett 43,068 13.7
Alan Johnstone 17,689 5.6
Marcus A. Stone 14,904 4.8

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. Maybank did not campaign for the general election as there was no chance of defeat.

Results

1948 U.S. Senate election in South Carolina
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Burnet R. Maybank (incumbent) 135,998 96.4 −3.6
Republican J. Bates Gerald5,0083.6+3.6
Majority 130,99092.8−7.2
Turnout 141,006
Democratic hold
  65+% won by Maybank

See also

References