1962 United States Senate election in South Carolina
{{Short description|none}}
{{Use mdy dates|date= August 2017}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 1962 United States Senate election in South Carolina
| country = South Carolina
| type = presidential
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 1956 United States Senate election in South Carolina
| previous_year = 1956
| next_election = 1966 United States Senate special election in South Carolina
| next_year = 1966 (special)
| election_date = November 6, 1962
| image1 = x150px
| nominee1 = Olin D. Johnston
| party1 = Democratic Party (United States)
| popular_vote1 = 178,712
| percentage1 = 57.16%
| image2 = x150px
| nominee2 = W. D. Workman, Jr.
| party2 = Republican Party (United States)
| popular_vote2 = 133,930
| percentage2 = 42.84%
| title = U.S. Senator
| map_image = 1962 United States Senate election in South Carolina results map by county.svg
| map_caption = County results
Johnston: {{legend0|#7996e2|50–60%}} {{legend0|#6674de|60–70%}} {{legend0|#584cde|70–80%}} {{legend0|#3933e5|80–90%}}
Workman: {{legend0|#e27f7f|50-60%}}
| map_size = 250px
| before_election = Olin D. Johnston
| before_party = Democratic Party (US)
| after_election = Olin D. Johnston
| after_party = Democratic Party (US)
}}
{{ElectionsSC}}
The 1962 South Carolina United States Senate election was held on November 6, 1962 to select the U.S. Senator from the state of South Carolina. Incumbent Democratic Senator Olin D. Johnston defeated Governor Fritz Hollings in the Democratic primary and Republican W. D. Workman, Jr. in the general election.
Democratic primary
The South Carolina Democratic Party held their primary on June 12, 1962. Olin D. Johnston, the incumbent Senator, faced stiff competition from Governor Fritz Hollings who argued that Johnston was too liberal and not representative of South Carolina interests. Johnston merely told the voters that he was doing what he thought was best for the agriculture and textile workers of the state. Hollings was decisively defeated by Johnston because Johnston used his position as Post Office and Civil Service Committee to build 40 new post offices in the state and thus demonstrate the pull he had in Washington to bring home the bacon.
{{Election box begin | title=South Carolina U.S. Senate Primary Election, 1962}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Olin D. Johnston (incumbent)
|votes = 216,918
|percentage = 66.3
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Fritz Hollings
|votes = 110,023
|percentage = 33.7
|change =
}}
{{Election box end}}
Republican primary
W. D. Workman, Jr., a correspondent for the News and Courier, faced no opposition from South Carolina Republicans and avoided a primary election.
General election campaign
Both Johnston and Workman supported segregation, so the campaign centered on the economic issues of the state. Workman tried to persuade the voters that Johnston's policies were socialist and that he was too closely aligned with the Kennedy administration. Johnston was a consistent supporter of socialized health care proposals and Workman was able to win considerable support from the medical establishment. However, the state's citizens were much poorer than that of the rest of the nation and Johnston's class based appeals made him a very popular figure for the downtrodden of both the white and black races. The competitive nature of this race foresaw the eventual rise of the Republican Party and that South Carolinians were growing increasingly suspicious of policies generated at the federal level.
Election results
{{Election box begin | title=South Carolina U.S. Senate Election, 1962}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Olin D. Johnston (incumbent)
|votes = 178,712
|percentage = 57.16%
|change = -25.05%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link||party=Republican Party (United States)|candidate=W. D. Workman, Jr.|votes=133,930|percentage=42.84%|change=+25.09%}}
{{Election box candidate|
|party = No party
|candidate = Write-Ins
|votes = 5
|percentage = 0.00%
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box majority||votes=44,782|percentage=14.32%|change=-50.14%}}
{{Election box turnout||votes=312,647|percentage=46.9 |change=+8.8}}
|-
| {{party color cell|Democratic Party (United States)}}
| colspan=5 |Democratic hold
{{Election box end}}
See also
References
- "Supplemental Report of the Secretary of State to the General Assembly of South Carolina." Reports and Resolutions of South Carolina to the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina. Volume II. Columbia, SC: 1963, p. 6.
- {{cite book | last = Jordan | first = Frank E | title = The Primary State: A History of the Democratic Party in South Carolina, 1876-1962 | pages = 83 }}
- {{cite book | last = Kalk | first = Bruce H. | title = The Origins of the Southern Strategy: Two-Party Competition in South | year = 2001 | publisher = Lexington Books | pages = 56–61 }}
- {{cite news | title=Veteran's Viciory | url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,869949,00.html?iid=chix-sphere | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022195421/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,869949,00.html?iid=chix-sphere | url-status=dead | archive-date=October 22, 2012 | publisher=Time | date=June 22, 1962 | access-date=February 9, 2008 }}
{{1962 United States elections}}
{{United States Senate elections in South Carolina}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:United States Senate Election In South Carolina, 1962}}