1897 United States Senate election in South Carolina

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1896 Democratic Senate primary runoff in South Carolina
Flag of South Carolina.svg
September 9, 1896 1898  
  Joseph Earle.jpg John Gary Evans.jpg
Nominee Joseph H. Earle John Gary Evans
Party Democratic Democratic
Popular vote42,91539,576
Percentage52%48%

U.S. senator before election


Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Joseph H. Earle
Democratic

The 1897 South Carolina United States Senate election was a unanimous election of the Democratic nominee on January 26, 1897 to select the U.S. Senator from the state of South Carolina. The Democratic primary election was held on August 26, 1896 and September 9. Prior to the ratification of the 17th Amendment to the United States Constitution, U.S. Senators were elected by the state legislature and not through the direct election by the people of the state. However, the Democratic Party of South Carolina organized primary elections for the U.S. Senate beginning in 1896 and the General Assembly would confirm the choice of the Democratic voters. Conservative Democratic Joseph H. Earle won the Democratic primary and was elected by the General Assembly for a six-year term.

Contents

Democratic primary

In 1896, Governor of South Carolina John Gary Evans entered the first ever election in the state of South Carolina for the U.S. Senate. He had the backing of Senator Ben Tillman and much of the farming interests in the state. However, the farmers' movement had largely run its course and the Tillmanite reform movement had angered a considerable number of voters in the state. Conservative Joseph H. Earle and Newberry native John T. Duncan announced their candidacy's in opposition to Governor Evans. In the primary on August 26 Evans emerged as the frontrunner, but did not garner over 50% of the vote and was forced to face Earle in a runoff election. Those who had voted for Duncan threw their support to Earle and it provided him with the margin he needed for victory over Evans.

South Carolina U.S. Senate Primary Election, 1896
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic John Gary Evans 38,802 49.6
Democratic Joseph H. Earle 31,09239.8
Democratic John T. Duncan8,32710.6
South Carolina U.S. Senate Primary Election Runoff, 1896
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Joseph H. Earle 42,915 52.0 +12.2
Democratic John Gary Evans 39,57648.0-1.6

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