1986 United States Senate election in South Carolina

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1986 United States Senate election in South Carolina
Flag of South Carolina.svg
  1980 November 4, 1986 1992  
  FritzHollings.jpg Henry McMaster official photo.jpg
Nominee Ernest Hollings Henry McMaster
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote463,354261,394
Percentage63.07%35.63%

1986 United States Senate election in South Carolina results map by county.svg
County results
Hollings:      50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%
McMaster:      50–60%

U.S. senator before election

Ernest Hollings
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Ernest Hollings
Democratic

The 1986 South Carolina United States Senate election was held on November 4, 1986 to select the U.S. Senator from the state of South Carolina. Popular incumbent Democratic Senator Fritz Hollings easily defeated Republican challenger Henry McMaster to win his fifth (his fourth full) term. This is the last U.S. Senate election in South Carolina where Democrats won with a double-digit margin. McMaster later served as South Carolina’s Lieutenant Governor from 2011 to 2017 and has been the state’s Governor since Nikki Haley resigned in 2017. McMaster also served South Carolina as its State Attorney General from 2003 to 2011.

Contents

Republican primary

The Republican primary campaign pitted U.S. Attorney Henry McMaster against Henry Jordan, a social conservative supported by televangelist Pat Robertson and many Christian activists. [1]

Candidates

Results

McMaster
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50-60%
60-70%
70-80%
80-90%
>90%
Jordan
50-60%
60-70%
80-90%
>90%
Tie
50% 1986 United States Senate Republican primary in South Carolina results map by county.svg
McMaster
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
  •   80–90%
  •   >90%
Jordan
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   80–90%
  •   >90%
Tie
  •   50%
Republican Primary
CandidateVotes%
Henry McMaster 27,695 53.4%
Henry Jordan 24,164 46.6%

General election

Candidates

Campaign

The race was not seriously contested and was not a target by the Republicans. With little financial assistance, McMaster was unable to mount a credible challenge to Hollings' re-election in what became a difficult year for Republicans.

Results

South Carolina U.S. Senate Election, 1986
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Fritz Hollings (incumbent) 465,511 63.07% −7.29%
Republican Henry McMaster 262,97635.63%+6.00%
Libertarian Steven B. Vandervelde4,7880.65%N/A
American Ray Hillyard4,5880.62%N/A
No party Write-Ins 1990.03%N/A
Majority 202,53527.44%−13.29%
Turnout 738,06256.6%−13.9%
Democratic hold

See also

References

  1. Broder, David S. (June 11, 1986). "Maine, South Carolina Pick Candidates". Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved February 13, 2022.