1900 South Carolina gubernatorial election

The 1900 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1900 to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. Governor Miles Benjamin McSweeney won the Democratic primary and ran unopposed in the general election to win a term for governor in his own right.

1900 South Carolina Democratic gubernatorial primary runoff

← 1898 September 11, 1900 1902 →
 
Nominee Miles Benjamin McSweeney James A. Hoyt
Party Democratic Democratic
Popular vote 51,363 37,412
Percentage 57.9% 42.1%

County results
McSweeney:      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%      80-90%
Hoyt:      50-60%

Governor before election

William Haselden Ellerbe
Democratic

Elected Governor

Miles Benjamin McSweeney
Democratic

Democratic primary

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The South Carolina Democratic Party held their primary for governor on August 28 and incumbent Governor McSweeney was the frontrunner. McSweeney favored the continuation of the state Dispensary which brought the backing of influential Senator and former Governor Ben Tillman. Prohibitionist James A. Hoyt won second place in the primary to advance to the runoff on September 11, but could not overcome McSweeney because the voters of the state simply did not want any alteration of an institution set up by Ben Tillman.

Democratic Primary
Candidate Votes %
Miles Benjamin McSweeney 39,097 42.3
James A. Hoyt 33,833 36.6
Frank B. Gary 12,956 14.0
A. Howard Patterson 6,052 6.6
G. Walton Whitman 491 0.6
Democratic Primary Runoff
Candidate Votes % ±%
Miles Benjamin McSweeney 51,363 57.9 +15.6
James A. Hoyt 37,412 42.1 +5.5

General election

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The general election was held on November 6, 1900 and Miles Benjamin McSweeney was elected to a second term as governor of South Carolina without opposition. Turnout greatly increased over the previous gubernatorial election because there was also a presidential election on the ballot.

South Carolina Gubernatorial Election, 1900
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Miles Benjamin McSweeney (incumbent) 46,457 100.0 0.0
No party Write-Ins 18 0.0 0.0
Majority 46,439 100.0 0.0
Turnout 46,475
Democratic hold
  65+% won by McSweeney

See also

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References

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  • Ball, William Watts (1932). The State That Forgot; South Carolina's Surrender to Democracy. The Bobbs-Merrill Company. p. 255.
  • "Official Count Declared". The News and Courier. September 15, 1900. p. 2.
  • "Results of the First Primary". The News and Courier. September 1, 1900. p. 1.
  • Jordan, Frank E. The Primary State: A History of the Democratic Party in South Carolina, 1876–1962. pp. 21–22.
  • Simkins, Francis Butler (1964). The Tillman movement in South Carolina. Duke University Press. p. 231.
  • "Report of M.R. Cooper, Secretary of State, to the General Assembly of South Carolina." Reports and Resolutions of the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina. Volume I. Columbia, South Carolina: The State Company, 1901, pp. 82–83.
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Preceded by
1898
South Carolina gubernatorial elections Succeeded by
1902