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1986 South Carolina gubernatorial election

1986 South Carolina gubernatorial election

← 1982 November 4, 1986 1990 →

Nominee Carroll Campbell Michael R. Daniel Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 384,565 361,328 Percentage 51.0% 47.9%

County results Campbell:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Daniel:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%

Governor before election Richard Riley Democratic Elected Governor Carroll A. Campbell Jr. Republican

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The 1986 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1986, to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. Carroll A. Campbell Jr., a Republican representative of the 4th congressional district, narrowly defeated Democrat Michael R. Daniel to become the 112th governor of South Carolina and only the second Republican governor since Reconstruction.

The South Carolina Democratic Party held their primary for governor on June 10. Michael R. Daniel was declared the official candidate for the Democrats despite not obtaining 50% of the vote because second-place finisher, Winthrop University president Philip Lader, declined a runoff election.^[1]

Carroll A. Campbell, Jr. faced no opposition from South Carolina Republicans and avoided a primary election.

The general election was held on November 4, 1986, and Carroll A. Campbell, Jr. was elected as the next governor of South Carolina in the closest election percentage wise since the disputed election of 1876. Turnout was higher than the previous gubernatorial election because of the increasingly competitive nature of the race between the two parties.

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

• SCIway Biography of Governor Carroll Ashmore Campbell, Jr.