1938 South Carolina gubernatorial election

The 1938 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1938, to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. Burnet Rhett Maybank, Mayor of Charleston, South Carolina, won the contested Democratic primary and defeated Republican Joseph Augustis Tolbert in the general election becoming the 99th governor of South Carolina.

1938 South Carolina Democratic gubernatorial primary runoff

September 13, 1938

Nominee Burnet R. Maybank Wyndham Manning Party Democratic Democratic Popular vote 163,947 149,368 Percentage 52.3% 47.7%

Governor before election Olin D. Johnston Democratic Elected Governor Burnet R. Maybank Democratic

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Ben E. Adams
• Neville Bennett
• D.T. Blackmon
• Cole L. Blease, former Governor (1911–15) and United States Senator (1925–31)
• John Hughes Cooper
• Francis M. Easterling
• Wyndham Meredith Manning, former State Representative from Stateburg and candidate for Governor in 1934
• Burnet Rhett Maybank, mayor of Charleston

The South Carolina Democratic Party held their primary for governor on August 30 and it is noted as being the last attempt by former Governor Cole Blease at becoming governor again. Maybank, the mayor of Charleston, had the support of the Lowcountry and emerged victorious from the runoff on September 13 against Wyndham Manning because the Upstate failed to coalesce around his candidacy.

Results

Democratic Primary
Candidate	Votes	%
Burnet Rhett Maybank	117,900	35.1
Wyndham Meredith Manning	74,356	22.1
Coleman Livingston Blease	60,823	18.1
Neville Bennett	47,882	14.2
Ben E. Adams	26,376	7.9
Francis M. Easterling	6,877	2.0
D.T. Blackmon	951	0.3
John Hughes Cooper	922	0.3

Democratic Primary Runoff
Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Burnet Rhett Maybank	163,947	52.3	+17.2
Wyndham Meredith Manning	149,368	47.7	+25.6

General election

The general election was held on November 8, 1938, and Burnet Rhett Maybank was elected the next governor of South Carolina against token Republican candidate Joseph Augustis Tolbert. Being a non-presidential election and few contested races, turnout was much lower than the Democratic primary election. The presence of even a token opposition candidate was unusual for South Carolina at the time.

South Carolina Gubernatorial Election, 1938

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Burnet Rhett Maybank	49,009	99.4	−0.6
	Republican	Joseph Augustis Tolbert	283	0.6	+0.6
Majority			48,726	98.8	−1.2
Turnout			49,292
	Democratic hold

  65+% won by Maybank

See also

• Governor of South Carolina
• List of governors of South Carolina
• South Carolina gubernatorial elections

References

• Cann, Marvin L. (July 1971). "The End of a Political Myth: The South Carolina Gubernatorial Campaign of 1938". The South Carolina Historical Magazine. Vol. 72, no. 3. South Carolina Historical Society. pp. 139–49.
• Jordan, Frank E. The Primary State: A History of the Democratic Party in South Carolina, 1876–1962. pp. 41–43.
• "Supplemental Report of the Secretary of State to the General Assembly of South Carolina." Report of the State Officers Boards and Committees to the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina. Volume I. Columbia, South Carolina: 1939, pp. 30–31.

External links

• SCIway Biography of Burnet Rhett Maybank

Preceded by 1934

South Carolina gubernatorial elections

Succeeded by 1942