1912 South Carolina gubernatorial election

The 1912 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1912, to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. Governor Coleman Livingston Blease won the Democratic primary. As South Carolina was utterly dominated by the Democratic Party, he faced no significant opposition in the general election.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Cole L. Blease, incumbent Governor since 1911
John T. Duncan, candidate for Governor in 1910
Ira B. Jones, Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court

Campaign

Governor Coleman Livingston Blease ran for a second term, but he faced a credible challenge in the state Democratic primary against Ira B. Jones. Senator Ben Tillman felt that Blease had greatly damaged the reputation of the state and was morally unfit to be governor, but because his re-election was on the same ballot he feared to openly oppose Blease so as to cause his own political downfall. Nevertheless, Tillman published a letter at the last minute stating his opposition to Blease. It was rather ironic because Tillman was essentially aiding the very people he had opposed in his 1890 gubernatorial contest. Despite Tillman's objection, Blease won the primary election on August 27 and avoided a runoff election by obtaining more than 50 percent of the vote.

Results

Democratic Primary
Candidate	Votes	%
Coleman Livingston Blease	71,552	51.0
Ira B. Jones	66,478	47.3
John T. Duncan	2,385	1.7

General election

The general election was held on November 5, 1912, when Coleman Livingston Blease was officially re-elected governor of South Carolina. Turnout increased over the previous gubernatorial election because there was also a presidential election on the ballot.

South Carolina Gubernatorial Election, 1912
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Coleman Livingston Blease (incumbent)	44,122	99.5	−0.3
	Socialist	R.B. Britton	208	0.5	+0.3
Majority			43,914	99.0	−1.0
Turnout			44,330
	Democratic hold

65+% won by Blease

References

Lander, Ernest McPherson Jr. (1970). A History of South Carolina, 1865–1960. University of South Carolina Press. p. 52. ISBN 0-87249-169-2.
Jordan, Frank E. The Primary State: A History of the Democratic Party in South Carolina, 1876–1962. pp. 28–30.
"Report of the Secretary of State to the General Assembly of South Carolina. Part II." Reports and Resolutions of the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina. Volume III. Columbia, South Carolina: 1913, pp. 422–423.
"Blease's Majority is 4,000 Votes". The News and Courier. August 30, 1912. p. 1.

External links

SCIway Biography of Coleman Livingston Blease

Preceded by 1910	South Carolina gubernatorial elections	Succeeded by 1914